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Meta-Analysis
. 2020 Jan-Dec:19:1534735420959882.
doi: 10.1177/1534735420959882.

The Effect of Yoga Interventions on Cancer-Related Fatigue and Quality of Life for Women with Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Meagan O'Neill  1   2 , Dominic Samaroo  2 , Christian Lopez  1   2 , George Tomlinson  1   2 , Daniel Santa Mina  1   2 , Catherine Sabiston  1 , Nicole Culos-Reed  3 , Shabbir M H Alibhai  1   2
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

The Effect of Yoga Interventions on Cancer-Related Fatigue and Quality of Life for Women with Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Meagan O'Neill et al. Integr Cancer Ther. 2020 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

Background: Women with breast cancer (BC) are living longer with debilitating side effects such as cancer-related fatigue (CRF) that affect overall well-being. Yoga promotes health, well-being and may be beneficial in reducing CRF. Although there have been previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses, the effects of yoga on CRF and quality of life (QOL) remain unclear, particularly in comparison with other types of physical activity (PA). Our objective is to carry out a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of yoga on CRF and QOL in women with BC.

Methods: Electronic databases were searched (MEDLINE, Embase Classic+Embase and EMB Reviews, Cochrane Central CT) from inception to May 2018. Randomized controlled trials were included if they were full text, in English, included a yoga intervention, a comparator (including non-PA usual care or alternate PA intervention), and reported on CRF or QOL. Effects of yoga were pooled using standardized mean difference (SMD) via a random effects model.

Results: Of the 2468 records retrieved, 24 trials were included; 18 studies compared yoga to a non-PA comparator and 6 to a PA comparator. Yoga demonstrated statistically significant improvements in CRF over non-PA (SMD -0.30 [-0.51; -0.08]) but not PA (SMD -0.17 [-0.50; 0.17]) comparators. Additionally, yoga demonstrated statistically significant improvements in QOL over non-PA (SMD -0.27 [-0.46; -0.07]) but not PA (SMD 0.04 [-0.22; +0.31]) comparators.

Discussion: This meta-analysis found that yoga provides small to medium improvements in CRF and QOL compared to non-PA, but not in comparison to other PA interventions.

Keywords: breast cancer; cancer-related fatigue; meta-analysis; physical activity; quality of life; systematic review; yoga.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
PRISMA diagram.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Overview of risk of bias (n = 24 studies).
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Forest plot for CRF using comparisons of post-values with. (A) Non-active comparators. (B) Active comparators.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Forest plot for QOL using comparisons of post-values with. (A) Non-active comparators. (B) Active comparators.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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