Serenity in Struggle: A Systematic Review on the Impact of Yoga on Quality of Life in Cancer Patients

Division

North Florida

Hospital

Ocala Regional Medical Center

Document Type

Review Article

Publication Date

1-1-2026

Keywords

Cancer, complementary therapy, quality of life, yoga

Disciplines

Alternative and Complementary Medicine | Internal Medicine | Medicine and Health Sciences | Therapeutics

Abstract

Cancer is a life-altering diagnosis that profoundly impacts patients' physical health and their quality of life (QoL). Complementary therapies like yoga have gained attention for their potential to alleviate these adverse effects and improve well-being. However, its integration into cancer care remains limited due to insufficient evidence and guidelines. By systematically reviewing the literature, this study aims to identify if there is a benefit of yoga in improving QoL parameters such as sleep, pain index, depression, and anxiety. This review is based on the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis guidelines. For this review, we searched the PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases and screened them for full free texts published in English and studied in humans in the last 5 years, beginning in 2019. The articles included in the search are randomized controlled trials (RCTs), nonrandomized control trials, mixed studies, observational studies, meta-analysis studies, systematic reviews, and traditional reviews. Our systematic review consists of 6 RCTs, 1 meta-analysis, and 1 observational study. The studies included yoga intervention in different cancers and their effects on sleep, depression, pain, QoL, fatigue, anxiety, and inflammatory cytokines. Nonpharmacological interventions like yoga are essential for improving the QoL in cancer patients. The heterogeneity in yoga protocols and the limited sample sizes of included studies suggest further research.

Publisher or Conference

International Journal of Yoga

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS