Radiation therapy is one of the main treatments for cancer, and one of the most common side effects of the treatment is fatigue. But new research from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center suggests that for breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy, yoga may combat this side effect by regulating stress hormones, improving quality of life beyond treatment.

The research team, led by Prof. Lorenzo Cohen, recently published the study findings in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Yoga is an ancient exercise that originated in India around 5,000 years ago. The activity combines physical postures, breathing exercises, relaxation techniques and meditation, and it has been associated with other health benefits.

Last year, Medical News Today reported on a study suggesting that yoga can help lower blood pressure, while a 2012 study suggested that the exercise may help prevent adolescent mental problems.

To assess whether yoga could provide health benefits for breast cancer patients, the researchers analyzed 191 women with stages 0-3 of the disease.

Share on Pinterest Researchers say yoga could combat fatigue for breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy and improve overall quality of life during and after treatment.

All women were randomized into three groups: yoga, simple stretching or no instruction in yoga or stretching.

The women in the yoga or simple stretching groups were required to attend 1-hour classes for 3 days a week during the course of their 6-week radiation treatment. All sessions were tailored to breast cancer patients.

During the study period, the women were asked to report on their quality of life, including levels of fatigue and depression, sleep quality and how they were able to function on a daily basis.

The researchers conduced electrocardiogram (ECG) tests and took saliva samples from the women at the baseline of the study, the end of their radiation therapy and at 1, 3 and 6 months after treatment. This was to measure the participants’ levels of cortisol – known as the “stress hormone.”