Special yoga intervention helps cancer survivors manage psychological side effects

University of Rochester Medicine is in the spotlight at a national meeting for a new discovery in integrative oncology: A special yoga intervention, the study shows, goes a step further than other side-effect therapies to improve four domains of physical and psychological side effects that most patients experience, including lifting mood and easing anxiety.

Previous research around exercise and cancer has focused on managing fatigue, insomnia, and brain fog for patients during and after cancer treatment. The new study points to a single, non-drug approach that also provides relief for common mood disturbances - empowering cancer survivors to reduce stress and boost overall health as they graduate from primary treatments like surgery and chemotherapy.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the largest professional organization for cancer clinicians and scientists, each year selects a handful of studies to showcase among the thousands it receives for its annual meeting. In 2026, ASCO officials chose this study, conducted by researchers at Wilmot Cancer Institute. First author is Yuri Choi, PhD, research assistant professor in Surgery, Cancer Control, and senior author is Karen Mustian, PhD., dean's professor of Surgery and associate director of Population Science at Wilmot.

Karen Mustian, PhD., dean's professor of Surgery and associate director of Population Science at WilmotClinicians should not be afraid to recommend gentle yoga to their patients as they move into survivorship."

She emphasized that the study evaluated slower-paced Gentle Hatha and Restorative yoga, which focuses on mindfulness and does not require vigorous exertion, as opposed to Vinyasa Flow or Hot Yoga.

"It's four bangs for your buck, and it can do a world of wonder for symptoms," she said. "People tend to enjoy it, and our research shows that after one month of restorative yoga a person may see huge improvements."

How does yoga help cancer survivors?

The study is a secondary analysis of research that Mustian initially published years ago, discovering that gentle, restorative yoga improves insomnia among cancer survivors. Reducing sleep problems is important because cancer survivors with severe sleep and fatigue issues can be prone to poor heart health.

The study was a nationwide, phase 3, randomized, controlled clinical trial involving 410 adult cancer survivors who were not regular yoga participants. Half of the group received standard follow-up cancer care, and the other half received standard care plus four weeks of yoga sessions, three times a week for a total of 180 minutes.

Researchers chose yoga therapy because of its mind-body benefits.

"Just doing downward dog without the breathing and mindfulness is simply calisthenics," Mustian said. "It's the synergy of the mind-body movement that brings positive effects."

Researchers also wanted to know if the drug-free yoga solution could ease mood disturbances such as anxiety and depression.

They used a self-administered Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire to assess patients. The POMS test rates 30 different questions about mood, ranked on a 5-point scale of 0 to 4, with 0 being no problems and 4 being extreme problems. The team also evaluated insomnia using the Insomnia Severity Index, which asks patients questions about their sleep.

Choi, who conducted the latest analysis, said the statistical results were clear: Yoga had a significant positive effect on overall mood disturbances, anxiety, and fatigue among the survivors. Her analysis made a connection between mood and sleep, showing that when some patients feel less anxious, they get better sleep, thanks to yoga.

Choi emphasized the significance of a drug-free approach to wellness. Oftentimes, cancer survivors are already taking several medications and adding more, such as an antidepressant, can cause negative interactions.

Patients who are interested in restorative and Hatha yoga, she said "should not hesitate to ask questions of their physicians, and to make sure they feel comfortable with the yoga studio or program they choose."

Integrative oncology comes of age

As of January 2025, more than 18 million people in the U.S. were living with cancer or a history of cancer - and that number is expected to rise to 22 million by 2035 due to research that enhances treatment and survivorship.

Cancer control and symptom-management research focuses on the side effects that can sometimes last for months or years after cancer treatment, including physical and psychological challenges.

Mustian started investigating exercise and integrative oncology to ease these burdens in 2003, and has had a major impact on the field - writing national guidelines and winning major leadership awards.

Over 25 years, she has seen oncologists and caregivers move from skepticism around exercise and cancer to acceptance, because of strong research that points to benefits.

"This is not going away," Mustian said. "It's only going to become a more important part of how we treat cancer patients all along the continuum."

Next steps for researchers include looking at ways to expand gentle yoga to more Black and Latino patients and adolescent and young adults with cancer; conducting a cost-benefit analysis on four weeks of yoga for survivors; and researching whether gentle yoga and similar interventions impact long-term cancer survival.

"There is no single gold standard behavioral treatment available to survivors for treating overall mood disturbance, anxiety, fatigue, and insomnia," Choi said. "We helped to fill that gap and look forward to conducting more innovative studies."

Choi was invited to describe the clinical trial results at an ASCO-sponsored national press conference on May 18, 2026, and will present data to fellow researchers at the ASCO meeting in Chicago on June 1.

All Wilmot patients undergoing treatment can get free support and access to gentle yoga sessions in person and on Zoom, as well as a video library of resources, at Wilmot's Pluta Integrative Oncology and Wellness Center.

Source:

University of Rochester Medical Center