The Kuala Lumpur Qigong Trial for Women in the Cancer Survivorship Phase-Efficacy of a Three-Arm RCT to Improve QOL

Background: Qigong is highly favoured among Asian breast cancer survivors for enhancing health. Thisstudy examined the hypothesis that quality of life (QoL) in the Qigong group is better than the placebo (aerobic)or usual care group. Materials and
Methods: A total of 197 participants were randomly assigned to either the8-week Kuala Lumpur Qigong Trial or control groups in 2010-2011. Measurement taken at baseline and postinterventionincluded QoL, distress and fatigue. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and Kruskal Wallis were usedto examine for differences between groups in the measurements.
Results: There were 95 consenting participantsin this 8week trial. The adherence rates were 63% for Qigong and 65% for the placebo group. The Qigong groupshowed significant marginal improvement in Quality of life scores compared to placebo (mean difference=7.3unit; p=0.036), compared to usual care (mean difference=6.7 unit; p=0.048) on Functional Assessment CancerTherapy-Breast measure. There were no significant changes between the placebo and usual care groups infatigue or distress at post intervention (8-week).
Conclusions: Cancer survivors who participated in the Qigongintervention showed slightly better QOL. Follow up studies are greatly needed to evaluate which subgroups maybest benefit from Qigong. With a steep rise of cancer survivors, there is an urgent need to explore and engagemore cultural means of physical activity to fight side effects of treatment and for cancer control in developingcountries.