The annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology is underway in Chicago -- so, I may feature a few noteworthy items from the booths during the week, time and space permitting. This first one (out of the University of Rochester) is simply obvious -- once one is alerted to it -- but highly worthy of mention, just the same.
It turns out that cancer patients who participated in a specially-tailored yoga program slept better, had less fatigue, and were less likely to need medication for sleeping problems and fatigue than patients who did not participate in such exercises.
Sleeping problems and fatigue are the most common side effects of cancer treatment, according to the Rochester researchers. In fact, most patients report that they have sleep problems during treatment, and more than half continue to have problems after treatment ends. So this is decidedly encouraging news:
. . . .In this study, cancer survivors participated in a four-week, twice-weekly yoga program called YOCAS® (Yoga for Cancer Survivors) developed by the University of Rochester Cancer Center Community Clinical Oncology Program. . . .
[It involves] a simple method that doctors can recommend to help patients with several very common cancer-related problems. . . . included are mindfulness exercises such as breathing, meditation, visualization, and various poses. . . .
Indeed -- welcome validation, here. Sometimes, it is the simplest of things. . . .
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