Overview
Cancer survivors can experience health issues that cause chronic illness and lower quality of life. Yoga is a well-known holistic approach to health and overall well-being. Mindfulness has many benefits, including improved focus and less stress. This study aims to evaluate if yoga and/or mindfulness has a positive effect on cancer survivors social, emotional and physical well-being as well as their epigenetics. Epigenetics is how the environment can effect your genes; not by changing our DNA, but by turning genes on or off.
Description
Randomized interventional pilot study to evaluate whether a mind-body intervention (Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) or (oncology-informed yoga) influences patient-reported Quality of life (QoL) outcomes (physical/social/emotional/ functional well-being and symptom burden) in Lung Colon, and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) survivors. A secondary (exploratory) aim is to evaluate whether these mind-body interventions impact epigenetics.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Adults over 18 years old
- Primary diagnosis: Lung Cancer, Colon Cancer and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)
- Six months post cancer-directed treatment (chemotherapy, targeted and immunotherapy). Patients with active disease (e.g. metastatic colorectal cancer) who are not receiving any cancer-directed treatment are eligible.
- Able to provide a saliva sample
- Gives informed consent and agrees to be randomly assigned
- Able to complete the questionnaire(s) in English.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Adults with primary anal and/or primary rectal cancer.
- Adult cancer survivors who are currently on an active treatment regimen.
- Oral or any pathological conditions that can limit the ability to produce saliva.
- Unable to participate in full length study period and follow up thereafter.
- Is pregnant or plan to become pregnant during the study period.
- Currently practicing yoga or SMART
- Those on corticosteroid therapy.
- Documented fall or syncope within the last 6 months