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Levels of fatigue and distress in senior prostate cancer survivors enrolled in a 12-week randomized controlled trial of Qigong

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Abstract

Purpose

Fatigue is a commonly reported symptom by prostate cancer survivors and is associated with significant distress and declines in quality of life. Qigong is a mind–body activity that consists of both physical activity and meditative aspects. This 12-week randomized controlled trial examined the feasibility and efficacy of a Qigong intervention for improving older prostate cancer survivors' levels of fatigue and distress.

Methods

Forty older (median age = 72, range = 58–93), fatigued (cut-off value of ≥1 on the CTCAEv4.0, >20 on a fatigue grading scale), and sedentary (<150 min of moderate exercise/week) prostate cancer survivors were randomized to 12 weeks of Qigong or stretching classes. Primary outcomes were feasibility (i.e., retention and class attendance rates) and fatigue [Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy—Fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue)], and secondary outcome was distress [Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18)].

Results

Study retention rates did not significantly differ between study groups (Qigong = 80 %, stretching = 65 %, p = 0.48). The Qigong group had significantly higher class attendance than the stretching group (p = 0.04). The Qigong group had significantly greater improvements in the FACIT-Fatigue (p = 0.02) and distress (i.e., BSI-18 Somatization, Anxiety, & Global Severity Index, p's < 0.05), than the Stretching group.

Conclusions

This 12-week Qigong intervention was feasible and potentially efficacious in improving senior prostate cancer survivors' levels of fatigue and distress levels. Future, larger definitive randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these benefits in older prostate cancer survivors and in racially and ethnically diverse populations.

Implications for cancer survivors

Qigong may be an effective nonpharmacological intervention for the management of senior prostate cancer survivors' fatigue and distress.

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Acknowledgments

A portion of this manuscript's preparation was funded by a National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) Research Fellowship in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (T-32 AT003378) at the University of North Carolina for the first author (R.A. Campo). The Qigong project was funded by a University of Utah Center on Aging Pilot Award to A.Y. Kinney and by the Huntsman Cancer Foundation. Additional support was provided by the Shared Resources (P30 CA042014) and the Linda B. and Robert B. Wiggins Wellness-Survivorship Center at Huntsman Cancer Institute. This content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding and supporting agencies. The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Rebecca A. Campo, Neeraj Agarwal, Kathleen O’Connor & Anita Y. Kinney

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Neeraj Agarwal & Anita Y. Kinney

  3. Department of Physical Therapy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Paul C. LaStayo & Sierra Smith

  4. Study Design and Biostatistics Center, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Lisa Pappas & Kenneth M. Boucher

  5. Department of Oncological Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Kenneth M. Boucher

  6. Department of Theatre, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Jerry Gardner

  7. Department of Anesthesiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Kathleen C. Light

  8. Program on Integrative Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Wing D, CB# 7200, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7200, USA

    Rebecca A. Campo

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  1. Rebecca A. Campo
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Correspondence to Rebecca A. Campo.

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Campo, R.A., Agarwal, N., LaStayo, P.C. et al. Levels of fatigue and distress in senior prostate cancer survivors enrolled in a 12-week randomized controlled trial of Qigong. J Cancer Surviv 8, 60–69 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-013-0315-5

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