ヨガはがん既往者のQOLを改善する

ヨガは早期がん既往者の睡眠およびQOLを改善し、倦怠感を軽減させる
Yoga improves sleep and quality of life, lessens fatigue for early-stage cancer survivors
4週間のヨガプログラムはがん既往者の睡眠を向上させ、倦怠感を軽減し、QOLを改善するのに役立ったと2010年ASCOで発表された。がんに対するアジュバント療法終了後2～24ヵ月間に、睡眠障害を訴えた早期がん既往者（96%が女性、75%が乳がん患者）410人においてヨガの有益性を評価した。参加者らは通常のケア単独または通常のケアに加え4週間にわたる週2回の、呼吸、瞑想、想像、および立位、座位、臥位のポーズのような集中した運動からなるYOCAS®（がん既往者に向けたヨガ）プログラムを受けた。その結果、ヨガ群はコントロール群と比べ、睡眠の質の改善が大であり（22%対12%）、臨床的な睡眠障害発現率が低く（31%対16%）、日中の眠気が少なかった（29%対5%）。ヨガ群は睡眠薬の使用が21%減少したにもかかわらずこれらの改善を認めた。一方、コントロール群においては睡眠薬使用が5%増加した。さらに、ヨガ群においては4週後に倦怠感が42%軽減したのに対しコントロール群ではわずか12%しか軽減しなかった。ヨガ参加者はQOLが改善した（6%）と報告したが、コントロール群では変化がなかった。
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The largest randomized, controlled study to date examining the value of yoga designed specifically for cancer survivors found that a four-week yoga program helped them sleep better, experience less fatigue, and improved their quality of life.

"Very few, if any, treatments for the sleep problems and fatigue that cancer survivors experience work well for very long, if at all," said lead author Karen Mustian, Ph.D., MPH, assistant professor of radiation oncology and community and preventive medicine and at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

"The study results point to a simple, non-pharmacological therapy that clinicians can recommend to help patients with several very common cancer-related problems."

Sleep problems and fatigue are among the most prevalent side effects experienced by cancer survivors, and they can impair quality of life. Approximately 80 percent of patients report sleep problems during treatment, and as many as 65 percent experience problems after therapy ends. Few effective treatments are available.

In this randomized, multicenter, Phase II/III trial -- conducted through the University of Rochester Cancer Center Community Clinical Oncology Program -- the benefits of yoga were assessed in 410 survivors of early-stage cancers (96 percent women, 75 percent breast cancer patients) who reported sleeping problems between two and 24 months after completing adjuvant therapy for their cancer. Participants received either usual care alone or usual care plus a four-week, twice-weekly YOCAS® (Yoga for Cancer Survivors) program, consisting of mindfulness exercises such as breathing, meditation, visualization, and poses in standing, seated and lying-down positions.

Patients who took yoga reported greater sleep quality, less use of drugs for sleep, less fatigue and better quality of life, while the control group reported increased use of sleeping medication. Specifically, patients in the yoga group reported greater improvement in sleep quality (22 percent vs. 12 percent), reduced incidence of clinically impaired sleep (31 percent vs. 16 percent), and less daytime sleepiness (29 percent vs. 5 percent), compared with patients in the control group. The yoga group showed these improvements in sleep while reducing sleep medication use by 21 percent. In contrast, the control group increased sleep medication use by 5 percent.

Additionally, researchers found that those in the yoga group reported a 42 percent reduction in fatigue, while the control group reported only 12 percent less fatigue after four weeks. Yoga participants reported an improved quality of life (6 percent) while the control group reported no change.

This study was presented at ASCO's 46th Annual Meeting in Chicago.

Funding: NCI U10CA37420 and K07CA120025