Impact of Eischens Yoga During Radiation Therapy on Prostate Cancer Patient Symptoms and Quality of Life: A Randomized Phase II Trial

Publication date: Available online 31 March 2017
Source:International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics
Author(s): Avital Mazar Ben-Josef, Jerry Chen, Paul Wileyto, Abigail Doucette, Justin Bekelman, John Christodouleas, Curtiland Deville, Neha Vapiwala
PurposeA randomized phase II design was performed to measure the potential therapeutic effects of yoga on fatigue, erectile dysfunction (ED), urinary incontinence (UI), and overall quality of life (QOL) in prostate cancer (PC) patients undergoing external beam radiation therapy (RT).MethodsParticipants were randomized to yoga and no yoga cohorts (1:1). Twice-weekly yoga interventions were offered throughout 6 – 9 week courses of RT. Comparisons of standardized assessments were performed between the two cohorts for the primary endpoint of fatigue as well as secondary endpoints of ED, UI and QOL time points before, during and after RT.ResultsBetween October 2014 and January 2016, 68 eligible PC patients were consented to the study. 18 patients withdrew early, mostly due to treatment schedule-related time constraints, resulting in 22 and 28 patients in the yoga and no-yoga groups, respectively. Throughout treatment, subjects in the yoga arm reported less fatigue than those in the control arm, with global fatigue, impact of fatigue, and severity of fatigue subscales showing significant interactions (p<0.0001). Sexual health scores (IIEF-5) similarly displayed a significant interaction (p=0.0333). The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) revealed a significant effect of time (p<0.0001), but no significant effect of treatment (p=0.1022). QOL measures had mixed results, with yoga having a significant time by treatment effect on emotional, physical, and social scores, but not on functional scores.ConclusionA structured yoga intervention of twice-weekly classes during a course of radiotherapy was associated with a significant reduction in pre-existing and RT-related fatigue, urinary and sexual dysfunction in PC patients.

Teaser

A twice-weekly yoga regimen appears to have beneficial effects on fatigue, erectile dysfunction, urinary symptoms, and quality of life in prostate cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. Yoga participants fared better than patients who did not participate in yoga therapy.


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