Gentle yoga sessions could improve cancer survival rates

Prof Mustian’s study involved an accessible and gentle form of Hatha yoga – not the more strenuous Bikram, Vinyasa, Ashtanga or “hot” yoga – which was modified for each patient.

The team found biological signs in their phase three randomised clinical trial that yoga was linked to a becalming of the immune system and the individuals had fewer harmful chemicals in their blood produced by a haywire immune system.

A separate study from almost 3,000 Brazilian cancer patients found that over-60s who are active (at least one 30-minute walk five days per week) are a fifth less likely to die in six months than their sedentary peers.

Elderly cancer patients were followed for six months each and a quarter of those who did not exercise died during the study period. In contrast, only ten per cent of active patients died. Data show therefore that those who were active were 18 per cent less likely to die. Dr Jurema Telles de Oliveira Lima, from the Instituto de Medicina Integral Professor Fernando Figueira in Brazil, who led the study, said just three weeks of exercise “could be enough to change the risk of cancer”.

Change in mindset

Prof Mustian says in the last 20 years there has been a change in mindset among scientists in regard to how non-clinical interventions such as exercise are viewed. She said that at the turn of the century there was a tendency to think cancer patients should take it easy and there was cynicism towards recommending yoga and exercise. However, she believes oncologists have “bought into it” over the last two decades as more data supports physical activity and its beneficial role in cancer treatments.

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Dr Melissa Hudson, a leading expert in cancer survival from St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis said: “I think a message that oncologists need to be telling their patients is that it is important they are as active as they can withstand, based on current symptoms.” Dr Paul Mulholland, a consultant medical oncologist and brain tumour expert at UCL Hospitals said he would “100 per cent recommend” yoga and meditation to his patients. “If they don’t want to do yoga then they can do Tai-Chi or something similar because it is actually very good for patients,” he told reporters in Chicago.

The Telegraph, London