Mindful Movement for Breast Cancer Survivors

NCT ID: NCT02619292

Last Updated: 2017-07-14

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 24 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2015-11-30
• Study Completion Date: 2017-06-30

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine if participating in a Mindful Movement Program (MMP) (learning how to be mindful in one's movement), positively affects the body's immune functions improves mindfulness and reduces worries about cancer returning. All participants will be in this study about three months.

Detailed Description

Breast cancer survivors (BCS) may experience psychological and physical effects long after treatment is over. Some research shows that practicing mindfulness, and movement types of activities such as qi gong or yoga may lead to improvements in emotional and physical well-being, including improved immune function. Immune function can be negatively affected by stress and worry, and this has an unknown effect on the risk of cancer recurrence. Psychological and physical interventions that help enhance an individual's wellbeing and reduce stress and worry may have a positive influence on immune function and in turn, reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. While there is limited research in this area, and none with dance therapy, little attention has been given to older BCS. However, understanding of immune function suggests that older women may be the best group to target for such interventions. Previous research with BCS age 50 or older who participated in a 12-week program combining mindfulness practice with dance/movement therapy (Mindful Movement Program) demonstrated positive effects: participants were more mindful in their day-to-day living and had less worry about the cancer coming back. Participants also reported through focus groups that the Mindful Movement Program (MMP) had improved their overall well-being. No laboratory tests of the body's immune response to MMP were included.

Conditions

Breast Cancer

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Mindful Movement Program

Mindfulness is "moment-to-moment, present-centered, purposive non-judgmental awareness"; Dance/movement therapy is a multidimensional approach that integrates body awareness, expression and acceptance to facilitate physical, emotional, cognitive, social and spiritual integration of individuals

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Mindful Movement Program

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Mindfulness is turning one's awareness to the present moment. Movement-dance therapy is the expression of thoughts or feelings through body movement, under the supervision of a licensed professional.

Interventions

Mindful Movement Program

Mindfulness is turning one's awareness to the present moment. Movement-dance therapy is the expression of thoughts or feelings through body movement, under the supervision of a licensed professional.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• diagnosed at age 50 or older with stage 0-III disease
• 6 months or more since completion of primary breast cancer treatment
• have a medical release from their physician
• English-speaking
• not pregnant
• no weekly practice of yoga, qi gong, tai chi, dance/movement therapy, or mindfulness meditation practice

Exclusion Criteria

• Males with breast cancer

• Minimum Eligible Age: 50 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Saint John's Cancer Institute

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Rebecca Crane-Okada, PhD, RN

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Saint John's Cancer Institute

Locations

Margie Petersen Breast Center at Providence Saint John's Health Center

Santa Monica, California, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

MMP-001

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id