The Effects of Yoga on Life Quality of Patients with Breast Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy

Breast cancer is the second most privilege cancer in the world. The disease and its treatments including chemotherapy impose many symptoms and side effects and impress the patients’ life quality. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of Yoga on the life quality of the patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. The present study is a clinical trial with pre and post intervention. The subjects include 40 women with breast cancer in the chemotherapy section of Isfahan Seyyed-Al-Shohada hospital. Yoga sessions were held in a period of 8 weeks، each lasting for about 75 minutes on the even days of the week. The instruments of data collection were three questionnaires including demographic and health questionnaire، life quality questionnaire of European Organization of Research Treatment of Cancer (EORTC QLQ-C30) and standard specific questionnaire of investigating the life quality of patients with breast cancer (EORTC QLQ-BR23) which was completed through a face-to-face interview of an oncology specialist with the patients during three months since Khordad till the end of Mordad 1391. The mean score of life quality of Yoga group was 49. 6≠1. 3 before the intervention which increased to 81. 7±1. 34 after the intervention. Before the intervention، the highest score was related to role functioning scale and the lowest score was related to sexual functioning scale. After the intervention، there was a significant increase in Yoga group regarding emotional and physical functioning as well as role functioning scales (p<0. 05). The study indicates that Yoga improves the functional scales of life quality in the patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Therefore، Yoga can be utilized as an effective، simple and low-cost method in improving the life quality of such patients.