In a prospective, quasi-experimental study conducted at the Markey Cancer Center and the College of Nursing at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky, researchers evaluated the utility of integrative medicine services, specifically yoga, to reduce cancer-related fatigue among patients undergoing active treatment for solid tumors, according to a presentation given at the 51st Annual Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Congress.
The study sought to address a highly prevalent and distressing adverse effect (AE) of cancer treatments. Because cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is frequently reported by patients as more debilitating than pain itself and remains underutilized as a therapeutic target, the investigation examined whether structured yoga sessions within an integrative medicine clinic could alter fatigue levels and improve overall quality of life for this patient population.
Main Data
The primary data collected to evaluate the efficacy of the yoga intervention relied on the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F) measurement tool, which utilizes a potential score range from 0 to 52. A total of 23 patients were initially enrolled in the study. Among these patients, 9 completed both the pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys. One additional patient completed the pre-intervention survey but died before the post-intervention assessment could be administered. The investigators performed a paired t-test to determine whether the differences between the pre-intervention and post-intervention scores reached statistical significance.
The baseline pre-intervention mean score was 22.9 (SD = 8.5). Following the yoga intervention, the post-intervention mean score was recorded at 26.2 (SD = 2.8). The calculated mean difference between the pretest and posttest scores was -3.33 (SD = 3.33). This shift indicated a slight increase in posttest scores, reflecting an improvement in fatigue levels; however, the paired t-test results demonstrated that this difference was not statistically significant (P = .42). Despite the lack of statistical significance, the authors concluded that yoga was useful in reducing cancer-related fatigue in patients receiving active cancer treatment.
“Yoga, in this study, was found to be useful in the reduction of CRF in patients receiving active cancer treatment,” lead author Leah R. Yeager, APR, advanced practice provider at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, concluded in the presentation with study coinvestigators.^2 “This study needs to be replicated with a larger, more inclusive sample size to further support the use of yoga in the reduction of CRF.”
Trial Details
The study utilized a nonrandomized pre- and post-intervention approach to assess the impact of yoga sessions. To guide the conceptual structure of the research, Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory was implemented as the foundational framework. The study process commenced with a pre-chart review that identified 23 eligible patients with cancer.
To be eligible for inclusion, patients were required to have a confirmed solid tumor diagnosis; be at least 18 years of age; possess the ability to read and speak English; be receiving active cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy or radiation therapy; and experience cancer-related fatigue. Patients who met these benchmarks were referred to an integrative medicine clinic to complete the yoga sessions.
The assessment process utilized the multi-item FACIT-F tool, which required patients to rate additional concerns over the past 7 days on a scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 4 (very much). These specific items included self-reported statements such as:
- I feel fatigued
- I feel weak all over
- I feel listless (“washed out”)
- I feel tired
- I have trouble starting things because I am tired
- I have trouble finishing things because I am tired
- I have energy
- I am able to do my usual activities
- I need to sleep during the day
- I am too tired to eat
- I need help doing my usual activities
- I am frustrated by being too tired to do the things I want to do
- I have to limit my social activity because I am tired
Patient Characteristics
A total of 10 patients completed the baseline pre-intervention demographic assessment. The mean age of the analyzed patient cohort was 65.7 years (SD, 6.0). A total of 6 patients were male (60.0%) and 4 were female (40.0%). One patient was Black (10.0%) and 9 patients were White (90.0%). Additionally, 100% of the cohort was insured.
The distribution of solid tumor types among the patients consisted of 2 patients with bladder cancer (20.0%), 1 patient with cholangiocarcinoma (10.0%), 2 patients with kidney cancer (20.0%), 1 patient with pancreatic cancer (10.0%), and 4 patients with prostate cancer (40.0%). The mean length of active cancer treatment was 22.5 months (IQR, 11.8-60.0).
Compliance with the intervention varied, with 3 patients (33%) attending between 0 and 4 yoga sessions, 5 patients (56%) attending between 5 and 10 sessions, and 1 patient (11%) attending between 11 and 15 sessions.
Main Objectives
The primary objective evaluated in this clinical investigation focused on changes in patient-reported fatigue levels as measured by the FACIT-F tool from the pre-intervention baseline to the post-intervention follow-up. Secondary metrics tracked throughout the study process included the overall enrollment rate, the proportion of patients successfully completing the pre-chart review and the retention of patients through the full intervention pipeline.
Safety
Safety considerations within the trial focused on monitoring patient status during active cancer treatment and mitigating the impacts of cancer-related fatigue, which is recognized as a highly prevalent and severe AE of antineoplastic therapy.
The study documented that 1 patient (10.0%) out of the 10 who completed the pre-intervention assessment died during the timeline of the research before the post-survey could be completed. The remaining 9 patients (90.0%) were alive at the time of the post-intervention assessment.
The authors did not report any direct treatment-related toxicities, physical injuries or specific AEs directly attributed to the yoga exercises themselves.
Reference
Yeager LR, Butler K, Stefaniak K, Chitwood H. Utilizing integrative medicine services for yoga to reduce cancer-related fatigue. Presented at: 51st Annual Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Congress; May 13-17, 2026; San Antonio, TX. Poster 590.
