Application of a mind-body tool in a rural population to improve post-operative outcomes in women with breast cancer: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in the United States. While improvements in treatment have improved mortality, they can negatively impact quality of life (QOL). Mindfulness-based programs are low-cost interventions shown to improve QOL. The study aim was to evaluate a well-validated mind-body program - determining its feasibility, acceptability, and improvement in symptomatology in post-operative breast cancer patients in a rural setting. METHODS: We recruited patients during post-operative appointments following mastectomy or lumpectomy for breast cancer. Each participant completed 3 surveys before and after the intervention: (8 PROMIS-29, PROMIS -Global QOL, and MAAS (Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale). The intervention was an 8-week course: "The Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) - Relaxation Response and Resiliency Program (3RP)", which has been well-validated for the treatment of various clinical problems. Feasibility, acceptability, quantitative survey data, and demographics were analyzed. RESULTS: SMART-3RP was highly acceptable with greater than >80% completion rate. 23% of the invited participants enrolled, although over 70% of patients approached (34/48) expressed interest. The principal recruitment deterrent was scheduling. Sleep and anxiety/depression were improved in participants although not significantly due to small sample size. We also demonstrated improving trends in other QOL measures. CONCLUSIONS: This small pilot study proved feasibility, showed excellent acceptability, and demonstrated a benefit in post-operative breast cancer patients. Even with our small sample size, we found trends in improvement in certain QOL measures which emphasizes SMART-3RP's potential effectiveness. A large-scale randomized controlled trial is warranted.