Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42151454›Full record

SynthesisCurrent oncology reports2026

Mind-Body Therapies for Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in People with Cancer: A Systematic Review with Network Meta-Analysis.

Yoann Birling, Deep Jyoti Bhuyan, Fan Feng, Mingxian Jia, Jing Liu, Han Zhang, Matthew Rahimi, Wing Yu Yu, Linda E Carlson, Hazel Betul Boge and 9 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewNetwork Meta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Current oncology reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

19 authors.

Yoann BirlingNICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia. y.birling@westernsydney.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0003-1478-6705
Deep Jyoti BhuyanNICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-9736-0197
Fan FengBenson Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Mingxian JiaBeijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.ORCID 0000-0001-7200-528X
Jing LiuSchool of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia.
Han ZhangBeijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Matthew RahimiWoolcock Institute of Medical Research, Macquarie Park, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-7799-9348
Wing Yu YuWestern Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-8229-7415
Linda E CarlsonUniversity of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-4411-2085
Hazel Betul BogeWoolcock Institute of Medical Research, Macquarie Park, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Nibras JasimSchool of Psychology, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia.ORCID 0009-0004-3275-9940
Kayla JayeNICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-7809-3401
Indeewarie Hemamali DissanayakeNICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-9874-8054
Sarah NevittDepartment of Health Data Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-9988-2709
Judith LaceyChris O'Brien Lifehouse Supportive Care and integrative oncology, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-3751-406X
Rogier HoendersCenter for Integrative Psychiatry, Faculty of Religion, Culture and Society, University of Groningen, Lentis, Groningen, Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-5069-0239
Changrong TangDaxing Office of Beijing Institute of Health Supervision, Beijing, China.
Tiffany TramSchool of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia.
Paul P FaheySchool of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-6351-9876

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introMind-body therapies (MBTs) are promising forms of treatment for depression and anxiety symptoms in people with cancer, however, their effectiveness has not been compared. The objective of this study is to rank the effectiveness of MBTs for depression and anxiety symptoms in people with cancer.

methodsEMBase, PubMed, Cinahl, PsychINFO, IndMED, CSI-NISCAIR, CNKI, Clinicaltrial.gov, ChiCTR, and CTRI were searched until February 2025 for randomised controlled studies in which MBTs were tested in a cancer population. Network meta-analyses were used on the selected studies to rank the reduction in depression and anxiety symptoms compared with usual care.

resultsA total of 182 studies which involved 16,835 participants were included. The network meta-analysis showed a statistically significant large effect compared with usual care for biofeedback (standardised mean difference, SMD = -1.18, p = 0.038), spiritual interventions (SMD = -0.98, p = 0.047), and mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs; SMD = -0.87, p < 0.001) for depression symptoms and yoga (SMD = -1.13, p < 0.001), MBIs (SMD = -1.02, p < 0.001), physical relaxation (SMD = -0.93, p < 0.001), qigong/Tai Chi (QTC; SMD = -0.90, p = 0.004) and music therapy (SMD = -0.90, p < 0.001) for anxiety symptoms.

conclusionsThe MBTs that should be prioritised are biofeedback, spiritual interventions, and MBIs for depression symptoms and yoga, MBIs, physical relaxation, QTC, and music therapy for anxiety symptoms in people with cancer.

Indexed as

AnxietyDepressionMind-Body TherapiesNeoplasmsHumansYogaAnxietyCancerDepressionMind-body therapiesMindfulnessOncologyRelaxationYoga

Identifiers

PMID42151454
PMCPMC13183694

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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.