Effect of an Integrated Yoga Module on Mental Health and Quality of Life in Cancer Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This research examines how a structured yoga program can help cancer patients manage psychological stress during chemotherapy. Cancer patients often face significant anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and difficulty coping with their emotions while receiving treatment. Current approaches mainly use medications, which can cause additional side effects and dependency issues.

Our study offers a 12-week integrated yoga program specifically designed for patients undergoing active chemotherapy. The program combines gentle physical postures, breathing exercises, meditation, and mindfulness practices adapted to suit the physical limitations and needs of cancer patients. We aim to see whether this yoga intervention can meaningfully reduce anxiety and depression, improve sleep quality, enhance emotional coping skills, and boost overall quality of life.

The study will enroll 136 cancer patients from various cancer types who are currently receiving chemotherapy. Participants will be randomly assigned to either receive the yoga program immediately or continue with usual care and receive yoga after the study ends. We will measure changes in mental health, sleep, emotion regulation, and quality of life at the beginning and after 12 weeks.

This research addresses a critical gap because most previous studies focused only on breast cancer survivors after treatment ended, not on diverse cancer patients during the challenging active treatment phase. By understanding how yoga helps patients cope during chemotherapy, we hope to provide evidence-based support that can be integrated into routine cancer care to improve patients’ well-being alongside their medical treatment.