Effect of Qigong exercise on quality of life and cortisol in patients with cancer: a non-randomized controlled trial

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a 6-month Guolin Qigong on quality of life and serum cortisol among patients with cancer. Methods This study was a two-arm and non-randomized controlled trial. Forty-nine patients with cancer who were over 18 years of age and diagnosed with cancer were enrolled in this study and assigned to either the Guolin Qigong intervention group (IG, n = 26) or the usual care group (UC, n = 23) for 6 months. During the Guolin Qigong exercise, the participants completed a training program consisting of five sessions per week and 40-60 min per session. The UC group maintained their usual lifestyle. The main outcomes included self-reported quality of life (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, EORTC-QLQ-C30) and well-being (General Well-Being Schedule, GWB). The second outcome was stress-related hormone serum cortisol measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All measurements were assessed at baseline and 6 months. Results Forty-nine participants (57.4% females, 26 in IG vs 23 in UC) were enrolled in the study, and forty-five participants completed all tests after the 6-month intervention (48.9% females, 25 in IG vs 20 in UC). Compared to the UC group, quality of life, physical function, and pain significantly improved in the IG (P < 0.05). Similarly, some sub-scales of GWB improved in the IG group compared to the UC group, especially for cheerful distracted and overall score (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in serum cortisol between the two groups either at baseline or after intervention (P > 0.05). Conclusions Six-month Guolin Qigong could improve quality of life, physical function, and pain, and have a beneficial effect on the well-being of cancer patients. Further studies are warranted to confirm these results.