Yoga for Aromatase Inhibitor-related Knee Pain Relief in Breast Cancer Patients

Estrogen plays a critical role in breast cancer growth in pre‐and post‐menopausal women. The aromatic catalyzer has relationship with biosynthesis of estrogen, therefore, aromatic inhibitors became as a standard therapy of breast cancer in post‐menopausal women. Arthralgia and joint stiffness are most common side effect in aromatic inhibitor treatment. Yoga is benefit for the patients with chronic pain improvement, and also can improve quality of life. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of Yoga on aromatic inhibitor‐induced chronic knee pain in patients with breast cancer. We designed a crossover study, a total of 60 patients divided equally to control group (massage for 6 weeks in home care) and treatment group (Yoga treatment for 12 times/6 weeks). There is two weeks wash out period after finishing 6 weeks treatment, and then the patients in control group changed to treatment, in contrast, the patients in the treatment changed to control group. The assessment time was pre‐treatment (vision 1), finishing 6 weeks treatment (vision), finishing 6 weeks treatment after crossover (vision 3). The major assessment was brief pain inventory scores changed The results in the present study predict Yoga treatment for 6 weeks can improve aromatic inhibitor‐induced knee pain and also can improve quality of life in patients with breast cancer.