Abstract: Introduction
Patients with cancer frequently suffer from emotional distress, characterized by psychological
symptoms such as anxiety or depression. The presence of psychological symptoms combined
with the complex nature of oncology processes can negatively impact patients' quality
of life. We aimed to determine the impact of a relaxation protocol on improving quality of life
in a sample of oncological patients treated in the Spanish National Public Health System.
Materials and methods
We conducted a multicenter interventional study without a control group. In total, 272
patients with different oncologic pathologies and showing symptoms of anxiety were
recruited from 10 Spanish public hospitals. The intervention comprised abbreviated progressive
muscle relaxation training, according to Bernstein and Borkovec. This was followed by
weekly telephone calls to each patient over a 1-month period. We collected sociodemographic
variables related to the disease process, including information about mental health
and the intervention. Patients' quality of life was assessed using the Functional Assessment
of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) questionnaire. Bivariate and univariate analyses
were performed, along with an analysis of multiple correspondences to identify subgroups
of patients with similar variations on the FACT-G.
Results
Patients showed statistically significant improvements on the FACT-G overall score
(W = 16806; p<0.001), with an initial mean score of 55.33±10.42 and a final mean score
of 64.49±7.70. We also found significant improvements for all subscales: emotional wellbeing
(W = 13118; p<0.001), functional wellbeing (W = 16155.5; p<0.001), physical wellbeing
(W = 8885.5; p<0.001), and social and family context (W = ?1840; p = 0.037). Conclusions
Patients with cancer who learned and practiced abbreviated progressive muscle relaxation
experienced improvement in their perceived quality of life as measured by the FACT-G. Our
findings support a previous assumption that complementary techniques (including relaxation
techniques) are effective in improving the quality of life of patients with cancer.