***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: Background : Substantial numbers of cancer patients use complementary medicine therapies , even without a supportive evidence base . This study aim ed to evaluate in a r and omized controlled trial , the use of Medical Qigong ( MQ ) compared with usual care to improve the quality of life ( QOL ) of cancer patients . Patients and methods : One hundred and sixty-two patients with a range of cancers were recruited .  QOL and fatigue were measured by Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy — General and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy — Fatigue , respectively , and mood status by Profile of Mood State . The inflammatory marker serum C-reactive protein ( CRP ) was monitored serially . Results : Regression analysis indicated that the MQ group significantly improved overall QOL ( t144 = −5.761 , P < 0.001 ) , fatigue ( t153 = −5.621 , P < 0.001 ) , mood disturbance ( t122 = 2.346 , P = 0.021 ) and inflammation ( CRP ) ( t99 = 2.042 , P < 0.044 ) compared with usual care after controlling for baseline variables . Conclusions : This study indicates that MQ can improve  cancer patients  ’ overall QOL and mood status and reduce specific side-effects of treatment . It may also produce physical benefits in the long term through reduced inflammation Background Many breast cancer survivors experience fatigue , mood , and sleep disturbances .  Purpose This study aims to compare a meditative movement practice , Qigong/Tai Chi Easy ( QG/TCE ) with sham Qigong ( SQG ) , testing effects of meditation/breath aspects of QG/TCE on breast cancer survivors ’ persistent fatigue and other symptoms . Methods This double-blind , r and omized controlled trial tested 12 weeks of QG/TCE versus SQG on fatigue , depression , and sleep among 87 postmenopausal , fatigued breast cancer survivors , stages 0–III , age 40–75 .  Results Fatigue decreased significantly in the QG/TCE group compared to control at post-intervention ( p = 0.005 ) and 3 months follow-up ( p = 0.024 ) , but not depression and sleep quality . Improvement occurred over time for both interventions in depression and sleep quality ( all p < 0.05 ) . Conclusions QG/TCE showed significant improvement over time compared to SQG  for fatigue , but not depression or sleep . Both QG/TCE and SQG showed improvement for two prevalent symptoms among breast cancer survivors , depression and sleep dysfunction Purpose Patients with advanced cancer frequently experience anxiety , depression and poor quality of life ( QOL ) , as well as physical symptoms such as fatigue and weakness .  Physical exercise has potential to help control these symptoms but the optimal training prescription is still not clear . We performed a study comparing medical Qigong ( QG ) and st and ard endurance and strength training ( SET ) in patients with advanced stage non-small cell lung ( NSCLC ) and gastrointestinal ( GI ) cancers . Methods A r and omized , cross-over study was performed in patients with advanced NSCLC and GI cancers receiving or eligible for chemotherapy . Patients received supervised QG or SET twice-weekly for 6 weeks . Psychological functioning , QOL , symptoms and physical functioning were assessed before and after each intervention period . Results Nineteen patients completed both interventions . Comparing interventions revealed no difference between QG and SET on change in anxiety or depression scores or QOL . However , SET treatment was better at improving perceived strength ( P = 0.05 ) and walking distance ( P = 0.02 ) . The order in which interventions were performed had a significant impact on the improvement in certain symptoms ( sleep quality , breathlessness , P < 0.05 ) , QOL ( P = 0.01 ) and walking distance ( P = 0.008 ) . In all cases , the beneficial effects of the exercise interventions were markedly reduced during the second interval . Conclusions QG and SET are equivalent in their impact on many aspects of psychological function in cancer patients . However , SET leads to greater improvements in exercise capacity and helps reduce some symptoms . The reduction in beneficial effect of SET on exercise function when offered as the second intervention is a new finding that warrants further study Objective . In a r and omized trial of women with early stage breast cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy  , two stress management interventions , tai chi training and spiritual growth groups , were compared to a usual care control group , to evaluate psychosocial functioning , quality of life ( QOL ) , and biological markers thought to reflect cancer- and treatment-specific mechanisms . Method . The sample consisted of 145 women aged 27–75 years ; 75 % were Caucasian and 25 % African American . A total of 109 participants completed the study , yielding a 75 % retention rate . Grounded in a psychoneuroimmunology framework , the overarching hypothesis was that both interventions would reduce perceived stress , enhance QOL and psychosocial functioning , normalize levels of stress-related neuroendocrine mediators , and attenuate immunosuppression . Results . While interesting patterns were seen across the sample and over time , the interventions had no appreciable effects when delivered during the period of chemotherapy . Conclusions . Findings highlight the complex nature of biobehavioral interventions in relation to treatment trajectories and potential outcomes . Psychosocial interventions like these may lack sufficient power to overcome the psychosocial or physiological stress experienced during the chemotherapy treatment period . It may be that interventions requiring less activity and /or group attendance would have enhanced therapeutic effects , and more active interventions need to be tested prior to and following recovery from chemotherapy Quality of life ( QOL ) of cancer patients is often diminished due to the side effects of treatment and symptoms of the disease itself . Medical Qigong ( coordination of gentle exercise and relaxation through meditation and breathing exercise based on Chinese medicine theory of energy channels ) may be an effective therapy for improving QOL , symptoms and side effects , and longevity of cancer patients .  In this pilot study , the feasibility , acceptability , and impact of Medical Qigong ( MQ ) were evaluated on outcomes in cancer patients . Thirty patients diagnosed with heterogeneous cancers , were r and omly assigned to two groups : a control group that received usual medical care and an intervention group who participated in a MQ program for 8 weeks in addition to receiving usual medical care . R and omization was stratified by completion of cancer treatment ( n = 14 ) or under chemotherapy ( n = 16 ) . Patients completed measures before and after the program . Quality of life and symptoms were measured by the EORTC QLQ-C 30 and progress of disease by the inflammation biomarker ( CRP : c-reactive protein ) via a blood test was assessed . The MQ intervention group reported clinical ly significant improved global QOL scores pre- and post-intervention . The MQ intervention also reduced the symptoms of side effects of cancer treatment and inflammation biomarker ( CRP ) compare to the control group . Due to the small sample size , however , the results were not statistically significant between treatment and the control groups . Data from the pilot study suggest that MQ with usual medical treatment can enhance the QOL of cancer patients  and reduce inflammation . This study needs a further investigation with a larger sample size INTRODUCTION Aging is typically associated with progressive multi-system impairment that leads to decreased physical and cognitive function and reduced adaptability to stress . Due to its capacity to characterize complex dynamics within and between physiological systems , the emerging field of complex systems biology and its array of quantitative tools show great promise for improving our underst and ing of aging , monitoring senescence , and providing biomarkers for evaluating novel interventions , including promising mind-body exercises , that treat age-related disease and promote healthy aging . MATERIAL AND METHODS An ongoing , two-arm r and omized clinical trial is evaluating the potential of Tai Chi mind-body exercise to attenuate age-related loss of complexity . A total of 60 Tai Chi-naïve healthy older adults ( aged 50 - 79 ) are being r and omized to either six months of Tai Chi training ( n=30 ) , or to a waitlist control receiving unaltered usual medical care ( n=30 ) . Our primary outcomes are complexity-based measures of heart rate , st and ing postural sway and gait stride interval dynamics assessed at 3 and 6months . Multiscale entropy and detrended fluctuation analysis are used as entropy- and fractal-based measures of complexity , respectively . Secondary outcomes include measures of physical and psychological function and tests of physiological adaptability also assessed at 3 and 6months . DISCUSSION Results of this study may lead to novel biomarkers that help us monitor and underst and the physiological processes of aging and explore the potential benefits of Tai Chi and related mind-body exercises for healthy aging Background and Objectives : Due to the increasing number of elderly and an increase in the number of cases of cancer by age , cancer is a common problem in the elderly . For elderly patients with cancer , the disease and its treatment can have long-term negative effects on their quality of life ( QoL ) . The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of progressive muscle relaxation , body image and deep diaphragmatic breathing on the QoL in the elderly with cancer . Material s and Methods : This study was a r and omized controlled trial in which 50 elderly patients with breast or prostate cancer were r and omized into study and control groups . Progressive muscle relaxation , guided imagery , and deep diaphragmatic breathing were given to the study group , but not to the control group . The effect of the progressive muscle relaxation , guided imagery and deep diaphragmatic breathing was measured at three different time points . European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer and QoL Question naire-Core question naires was completed before , after and 6 weeks after the intervention for the patients in both groups simultaneously . The data were analyzed by SPSS . Results : There was statistically significant improvement in QoL ( P < 0.001 ) and physical functioning ( P < 0.001 ) after progressive muscle relaxation , guided imagery and deep diaphragmatic breathing intervention . Conclusions : The findings indicated that concurrent application of progressive muscle relaxation , guided imagery , and deep diaphragmatic breathing would improve QoL in the elderly with breast or prostate cancer OBJECTIVE Treatment of breast cancer is usually associated with significant psychological stress . In this study , we examined the effects of relaxation and visualization therapy ( RVT ) on psychological distress , cortisol levels , and immunological parameters of breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy .  METHODS Participants were r and omly assigned to either the experimental ( n=20 ) who underwent group RVT for 24 consecutive days or control group ( n=14 ) who were on radiotherapy only .  Psychological scores ( stress , anxiety , and depression ) were measured by structured clinical interviews . Salivary cortisol was assessed along the day . Lymphocytes were isolated and cultured to measure T-cell proliferation and sensitivity to glucocorticoids ( GCs ) . RESULTS RVT was effective to reduce stress , anxiety , and depression scores ( all P<.05 ) . However , cortisol levels as well as proliferation remained unchanged following RVT . Although T cells of experimental group were more sensitive to GCs than cells of controls at baseline , no changes were noted following RVT . Cortisol levels were positively correlated to anxiety and depression scores and inversely correlated to T-cell proliferation and sensitivity to GCs . CONCLUSION We conclude that the psychological intervention was capable to attenuate the emotional distress presented during radiotherapy treatment . A longer RVT or worse psychological morbidity at baseline may be necessary to translate psychological into biological changes This single-arm non-r and omized pilot study explores an intervention to improve the health of flight attendants ( FA ) exposed to second-h and cigarette smoke prior to the smoking ban on commercial airlines . This group exhibits an unusual pattern of long-term pulmonary dysfunction . We report on Phase I of a two-phase clinical trial ; the second Phase will be a r and omized controlled trial testing digital delivery of the intervention . Subjects were recruited in the Northeastern US ; testing and intervention were administered in 4 major cities . The intervention involved 12 h of training in Meditative Movement practice s. Based on recent research on the effects of nicotine on fear learning , and the influence of the autonomic nervous system on immune function , our hypothesis was that this training would improve autonomic function and thus benefit a range of health measures . Primary outcomes were the 6-min walk test and blood levels of C-reactive protein . Pulmonary , cardiovascular , autonomic , and affective measures were also taken . Fourteen participants completed the training and post-testing . There was a 53 % decrease in high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein ( p ≤ 0.05 ) , a 7 % reduction in systolic blood pressure ( p ≤ 0.05 ) , a 13 % increase in the 6-min walk test ( p ≤ 0.005 ) , and significant positive changes in several other outcomes . These results tend to confirm the hypothesized benefits of MM training for this population , and indicate that autonomic function may be important in the etiology and treatment of their symptoms . No adverse effects were reported . This trial is registered at Clinical Trials.gov ( https:// clinical trials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02612389/ ) , and is supported by a grant from the Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute ( FAMRI ) BACKGROUND Qigong is highly favoured among Asian breast cancer survivors for enhancing health . This study examined the hypothesis that quality of life ( QoL ) in the Qigong group is better than the placebo ( aerobic ) or usual care group . MATERIAL S AND METHODS A total of 197 participants were r and omly assigned to either the 8-week Kuala Lumpur Qigong Trial or control groups 
    Output:
    
Findings in non-r and omized studies largely paralleled meta- analysis results .
Implication s for Cancer SurvivorsTCQ shows promise in addressing cancer-related symptoms and QOL in cancer survivors