J Korean Acad Nurs.  2005 Dec;35(7):1295-1303.

Effects of Abdominal Breathing Training Using Biofeedback on Stress, Immune Response and Quality of Life in Patients with a Mastectomy for Breast Cancer

• Kim KS
• Lee SW
• Choe MA
• Yi MS
• Choi S
• Kwon SH

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study was to determine the effects of abdominal breathing training using biofeedback on stress, immune response, and quality of life. METHOD: The study design was a nonequivalent control group pretest- posttest, quasi-experimental design. Twenty-five breast cancer patients who had completed adjuvant chemotherapy were enrolled. The experimental group(n=12) was provided with abdominal breathing training using biofeedback once a week for 4 weeks. State anxiety, cancer physical symptoms, serum cortisol, T cell subsets(T3, T4, T8), NK cell and quality of life were measured both before and after the intervention. RESULT: Though state anxiety, cancer physical symptoms, and serum cortisol were reduced after 4 weeks of abdominal breathing training using biofeedback, there was no statistical significance. It showed, however, improvement in quality of life (p=.02), and T3(p=.04). CONCLUSION: Abdominal breathing training using biofeedback improves quality of life in breast cancer patients after a mastectomy. However, the mechanism of this beneficial effect and stress response requires further investigation with special consideration in subject selection and frequency of measurement. Nurses should consider this strategy as a standard nursing intervention for people living with cancer.

Keyword

Biofeedback; Abdominal breathing; Immune response; Quality of life; Breast cancer

MeSH Terms

*T-Lymphocyte Subsets
Stress, Psychological/psychology/therapy
*Quality of Life
Middle Aged
Mastectomy/*psychology/rehabilitation
Hydrocortisone/blood
Humans
Female
*Breathing Exercises
Breast Neoplasms/immunology/*psychology/surgery
*Biofeedback (Psychology)
Adult