Effect of Medical Qigong on cognitive function, quality of life, and a biomarker of inflammation in patients with cancer: A randomized controlled trial.

Abstract

9035 Background: Cancer patients often experience diminished cognitive function and quality of life (QOL) due to side effects of treatment and the disease symptoms. This study evaluates the effects of Medical Qigong (combination of gentle exercise and meditation) on cognitive function, quality of life and inflammation in cancer patients. Methods: Eighty one cancer patients were randomly assigned to two groups: a control group (n=44) who received usual healthcare, and an intervention group (n=37) who participated in a 10-week Medical Qigong (MQ) program. Self-reported cognitive function was measured by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC-CF) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive (FACT-Cog). The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy- General (FACT-G) was used to measure QOL. C-reactive protein (CRP) was assessed as a biomarker of inflammation. Results: The MQ group self-reported significantly improved cognitive function (t51= -2.532, p=0.014, mean difference =7.78) in the EORTC-CF and all the FACT-Cog subscales: perceived cognitive impairment (t43= -2.254, p=0.029, mean difference =4.70), impact of perceived cognitive impairment on QOL (t45= -2.377, p=0.024, mean difference=1.64), and perceived cognitive abilities (t45= -2.229, p=0.031, mean difference =3.61) compared to controls. The MQ group reported significantly improved QOL (t45= -5.715, p<0.001, mean difference=12.66) and had reduced CRP levels (t45= 2.092, p=0.042, mean difference= -0.72) compared to controls. Conclusions: Results suggest that the MQ intervention may have positive effects on self-reported cognitive function, QOL and inflammation. Further research with an objective measure of cognitive function is needed.