Efficacy of a Nurse-led Yoga Intervention on Serum Cortisol and Psychological Health Outcomes of Patients with Breast Cancer

Abstract

Yoga, an ancient therapy, has been proved time and again as an effective non-pharmacological intervention among breast cancer survivors. This study endeavoured to determine the effect of the nurse-led Yoga intervention on serum cortisol and psychological health outcomes in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. Forty newly diagnosed breast cancer patients (Nurse-led Yoga Intervention 20, control 20) with stage II, III, and IV without distant metastasis, and other associated inflammatory disease, ready for neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, followed by surgery were recruited. Quasi-experimental design was adopted for the study. Assessments were carried out before the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cycles of chemotherapy, before surgery, and two months post-surgery. The effects of nurse-led yoga intervention effect were compared with the control group. Serum cortisol levels were significantly reduced before surgery (p=0.021) and 2 months post-surgery (p=0.003) in the nurse-led yoga intervention group. Similarly notable changes in the anxiety levels were seen before the 2nd, 3rd cycle of chemotherapy, before surgery and 2 months post-surgery (p=0.001). Depression levels before 3rd cycle of chemotherapy, before surgery, and 2 months post-surgery were also found to be lowered (p=0.001). Additionally, quality of life also showed significant change before the 2nd cycle of chemotherapy (p=.004), the 3rd cycle of chemotherapy (p=0.005), before and 2 months post-surgery (p=0.001). To conclude, integrating yoga intervention with the conventional treatment for breast cancer has demonstrated significant changes in the psychological health outcomes in patients with Breast Cancer.