Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26347018›Full record

ArticleEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM2015

A Randomized Controlled Trial for the Effectiveness of Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Guided Imagery as Anxiety Reducing Interventions in Breast and Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy.

Andreas Charalambous, Margarita Giannakopoulou, Evangelos Bozas, Lefkios Paikousis

Registry-linked trialOpen access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT01275872 (A Randomized Clinical Trial on the Effect of Guided Imagery and Progressive Muscle Relaxation for the Management of Pain, Stress, Anxiety and Depression as a Means to Improve the Psychological Well-being and the Quality of Life for Patients With Breast and Prostate Cancer), which is not on this map. Cited by 26 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
26citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
3.2field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT01275872 nacompletednot on this map

A Randomized Clinical Trial on the Effect of Guided Imagery and Progressive Muscle Relaxation for the Management of Pain, Stress, Anxiety and Depression as a Means to Improve the Psychological Well-being and the Quality of Life for Patients With Breast and Prostate Cancer

TypeinterventionalSponsorCyprus University of TechnologyRan2010 to 2011Enrolled200ConditionsBreast Cancer, Prostate CancerArmsGuided Imagery and Progressive Muscle Relaxation
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

26 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 96 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Guideline
  2. The effectiveness of guided imagery on psychological outcomes and quality of life in cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
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  4. The effect of two different types of music played to cancer patients during chemotherapy on anxiety, nausea, and satisfaction levels.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023
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  8. Psychoneuroendocrinological effects of music therapy versus mindfulness in palliative care: results from the 'Song of Life' randomized controlled trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2022
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Andreas CharalambousCyprus University of Technology, 15 Vragadinou Street, 3041 Limassol, Cyprus.
Margarita GiannakopoulouUniversity of Athens, 123 Papadiamantopoulou Street, 115 27 Athens, Greece.
Evangelos BozasUniversity of Athens, 123 Papadiamantopoulou Street, 115 27 Athens, Greece.
Lefkios PaikousisImprovast, 7 Arkadias Street, Office 206, 2020 Nicosia, Cyprus.
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens · GRCyprus University of Technology · CY

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective. To test the effectiveness of guided imagery (GI) and progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) as stress reducing interventions in patients with prostate and breast cancer who undergo chemotherapy. Methods. Patients were randomly assigned to either the control group or the intervention group (PMR and GI). Patients were observed for a total duration of 3 weeks and assessed with the SAS and BECK-II questionnaires for anxiety and depression, respectively, in addiotion to two biological markers (saliva cortisol and saliva amylase) (trial registration number: NCT01275872). Results. 256 patients were registered and 236 were randomly assigned. In total 104 were randomised to the control group and 104 to the intervention group. Intervention's mean anxiety score and depression score changes were significantly different compared to the control's (b = -29.4, p < 0.001; b = -29.4, p < 0.001, resp.). Intervention group's cortisol levels before the intervention (0.30 ± 0.25) gradually decreased up to week 3 (0.16 ± 0.18), whilst the control group's cortisol levels before the intervention (0.21 ± 0.22) gradually increased up to week 3 (0.44 ± 0.35). The same interaction appears for the Amylase levels (p < 0.001). Conclusions. The findings showed that patients with prostate and breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy treatment can benefit from PMR and GI sessions to reduce their anxiety and depression.

Identifiers

PMID26347018
PMCPMC4545275
OpenAlexW1574917704

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.