Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

4-30-2020

Institution/Department

Maine Medical Center, Medical Education, Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Urology

MeSH Headings

Humans, Meditation, Urogenital Neoplasms

Abstract

Patients with genitourinary (GU) malignancies like prostate, kidney, and bladder cancer are exposed to many psychosocial stressors associated with cancer diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. The prevalence of anxiety and depression amongst kidney and bladder cancer patients is on par with, and in some studies exceeds, that seen in breast cancer patients. While prostate cancer patients tend to exhibit lower levels of stress when compared to other malignancies, subsets of those patients, especially those with preexisting tendencies towards anxiety, are at higher risk for psychological morbidity than the general population.

Two tools proposed to help patients manage disease specific stressors are meditation and MB practices (which for this study includes yoga, tai-chi and qi gong). Of particular recent focus has been mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a program with an established curriculum that aims to help “cultivate non-judgmental, moment-to-moment awareness through a process of attentional single-mindedness.” MBSR has been utilized in different patient populations with consistent improvement in managing anxiety, depression and pain. A small number of studies in patients with prostate cancer have shown promising results.

Comments

2020 Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat

Joshua Linscott- Resident

Download

Share

COinS