Effects of an Integrated Yoga Program in Modulating Psychological Stress and Radiation-Induced Genotoxic Stress in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy

• Published in: Integrative cancer therapies Vol. 6; no. 3; pp. 242 - 250
• Main Authors: Banerjee, Birendranath, Vadiraj, H.S., Ram, Amritanshu, Rao, Raghavendra, Jayapal, Manikandan, Gopinath, Kodaganur S., Ramesh, B.S., Rao, Nalini, Kumar, Ajay, Raghuram, Nagarathna, Hegde, Sridevi, Nagendra, H.R., Prakash Hande, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.09.2007; Sage Publications, Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Care and treatment; Complications and side effects; DNA damage; DNA Damage - radiation effects; Female; Health aspects; Humans; India; Middle Aged; Radiation Injuries - rehabilitation; Radiotherapy; Radiotherapy - adverse effects; Stress (Psychology); Stress, Psychological - etiology; Stress, Psychological - therapy; Surveys and Questionnaires; Treatment Outcome; Yoga; India; yoga; radiotherapy; stress; meditation; DNA damage
• ISSN: 1534-7354; 1552-695X
• DOI: 10.1177/1534735407306214

Effects of an integrated yoga program in modulating perceived stress levels, anxiety, as well as depression levels and radiation-induced DNA damage were studied in 68 breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Two psychological questionnaires—Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)—and DNA damage assay were used in the study. There was a significant decrease in the HADS scores in the yoga intervention group, whereas the control group displayed an increase in these scores. Mean PSS was decreased in the yoga group, whereas the control group did not show any change pre- and postradiotherapy. Radiation-induced DNA damage was significantly elevated in both the yoga and control groups after radiotherapy, but the postradiotherapy DNA damage in the yoga group was slightly less when compared to the control group. An integrated approach of yoga intervention modulates the stress and DNA damage levels in breast cancer patients during radiotherapy.