MULTIMODAL psychological interventions such as yoga, relaxation, and meditation may help reduce pain following breast cancer surgery, according to a new systematic review evaluating their effectiveness in survivorship care.
Researchers screened nearly 2,900 studies and included 18 that met criteria for examining the impact of these interventions on postsurgical pain in breast cancer survivors. More than half of the studies were randomized controlled trials, involving a combined total of 1,712 patients, with a median sample size of 77 participants. The review included a wide range of psychologic therapies, including mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), yoga, cognitive therapy, diaphragmatic breathing, and group therapy.
Among these, mindfulness-based stress reduction was the most commonly studied, appearing in four of the 18 trials. However, it did not demonstrate significant effects in reducing pain. In contrast, several less frequently studied interventions, including integrated yoga programs, progressive muscle relaxation with visualization, and supportive-expressive group therapy, were associated with significant pain relief outcomes.
Pain was most commonly assessed using the Brief Pain Inventory and the EORTC QLQ-C30 quality of life questionnaire. Despite promising findings for several individual interventions, the review highlighted a need for further high-quality randomized controlled trials to establish more definitive guidance on their use in clinical settings.
While multimodal psychological strategies show encouraging potential, the heterogeneity of interventions and outcomes across the included studies underscores the importance of tailoring post-operative care plans to individual patient needs and preferences.
The review’s authors stress that, although preliminary findings support the use of several mind-body therapies, more rigorous and consistent research is needed to confidently integrate these options into standard post-surgical care for breast cancer survivors.
Reference:
Kennedy SKF et al. Efficacy of Multimodal Psychological Interventions on Pain After Surgery in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review. JCO Oncol Pract. 2025:OP2500081.
