Health
Cancer survivors may see surprising benefits from one specific exercise, study says
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For many, surviving cancer comes with an automatic new lease on life but other survivors continue to experience physical and emotional challenges long after treatment ends.
Yoga may significantly reduce the insomnia, fatigue and mood disturbances many survivors endure after remission, a recent clinical trial found.
Mood disturbance and insomnia are “two of the most pervasive and troubling side effects experienced by cancer survivors for years after completing adjuvant treatments,” the researchers reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
SIMPLE DAILY HABIT MAY HELP EASE DEPRESSION MORE THAN MEDICATION, RESEARCHERS SAY
They noted that both symptoms can substantially inhibit survivors’ ability to perform everyday activities.
The study, funded by the National Cancer Institute, compared 204 cancer survivors receiving standard survivorship care alone with 206 survivors who paired standard care with the Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) program. Most of the participants were female breast-cancer survivors.
A clinical trial showed that yoga may help ease symptoms cancer survivors experience after treatments. (iStock)
YOCAS is a four-week intervention that incorporates two types of yoga – hatha, which is traditional and more active, and restorative, which is more passive. Both forms involve slow, gentle movements, breathing exercises and mindfulness, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), which published a news release on the study’s findings.
Participants in the YOCAS group practiced yoga, on average, for 180 minutes each week over the course of three sessions.
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At the end of the trial, the YOCAS participants reported overall improvements to mood, anxiety and fatigue, while the standard care group did not.
“Additionally, improvements in insomnia stemming from YOCAS yoga may be mediated by changes in overall [mood disturbance] and fatigue,” the researchers wrote.
“[The study is] an important advance because it offers survivors, who are likely already managing multiple medications, a non-pharmaceutical solution for reducing four different side effects at once,” Fumiko Chino, MD, a cancer researcher and associate professor in breast radiation oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center, told ASCO.
Cancer survivors often continue to struggle with physical and mental-health challenges after the disease has been successfully treated. (iStock)
Timothy Pearman, Ph.D., director of supportive oncology at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, told Fox News Digital he was not surprised by the results of the study.
“Yoga is one of the most widely studied and validated interventions for managing cancer-related fatigue, mood disturbance and overall physical health,” Pearman said.
Pearman said his wife, Jenny Finkel, is a yoga teacher and received her continuing education at Duke University’s integrative medicine program, which focuses on yoga for cancer patients.
“There are now a number of cancer-specific yoga teacher training programs nationwide,” Pearman said. “Yoga is a wonderful thing because it is very modifiable, meaning that even for people who have significant physical impairment, the exercises can be modified so that anyone can participate.”
He added that yoga is affordable, too, because “all you need is a mat and someone to show you how to do it.”
Osteoporosis, an increased risk of cardiac problems and issues with balance and stamina are other physical symptoms related to cancer treatment that yoga can help mitigate, Pearman said.
Cancer survivors who took part in an average of three yoga classes a week for four weeks reported reduced anxiety and fatigue, according to a recent study. (iStock)
Shari Botwin, a licensed clinical social worker based in Pennsylvania, is a thyroid-cancer survivor who specializes in working with victims of trauma, including cancer. She turned to yoga months after her diagnosis and told Fox News Digital the practice has been “transformative.”
According to Botwin, cancer survivors she’s worked with have dealt with emotional challenges that affect their healing process, including depression and survivor’s guilt. In addition to the physical relief yoga can provide, she said it can also offer “a supportive environment of peers, some of which are cancer thrivers.”
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Botwin added that yoga can help survivors who have lost parts of their body reframe their thinking.
“It supports us into moving into a place of self-compassion rather than shame and self-hatred,” she said.
Yoga can help cancer survivors who struggle with guilt or shame to find a community of understanding peers, according to some experts. (iStock)
Almost any type of exercise can be beneficial for cancer survivors, Pearman said. He advises his patients to stick to the type of exercise they enjoyed prior to cancer.
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He also noted that free yoga classes geared toward cancer survivors are widely available through various non-profit organizations.
Jill Biden says Joe’s debate performance made her wonder if he had a stroke
Former first lady Jill Biden revises her account of former President Joe Biden’s disastrous 2024 debate, now alleging she feared he was suffering a stroke. This new statement from the first lady contrasts sharply with her earlier public affirmations of his performance. Contributor Ben Domenech scrutinizes the timing and motivations behind this sudden shift.
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Former first lady Jill Biden has expressed her concerns about former President Joe Biden’s health status, noting that she feared he was having a stroke during a 2024 debate against President Donald Trump.
Biden struggled his way through the performance, with long periods of silence, confused facial expressions and stammered speech. In a recent interview with CBS, Jill Biden commented that she was “frightened.”
“I don’t know what happened,” she said. “I mean, when I watched it, I thought, ‘Oh my God, he’s having a stroke,’ and it scared me to death.”
JILL BIDEN SAYS SHE THOUGHT JOE WAS HAVING A STROKE DURING HIS DISASTROUS 2024 DEBATE PERFORMANCE
A stroke occurs when there is bleeding in the brain or when blood flow to the brain is blocked, according to Mayo Clinic.
Identifying a stroke may be difficult, as symptoms can vary.
Stroke symptoms can include balance loss, weakness, slurred speech, face drooping, confusion and severe headaches. (iStock)
The American Stroke Association (ASA) identifies the following key warning signs, using the acronym “B.E. F.A.S.T.”
- B – Balance loss
- E – Eye (vision) changes
- F – Face drooping
- A – Arm weakness
- S – Speech difficulty
- T – Time to call 911
In a situation in which someone could be having a stroke, “the only” thing to do is to call 911, Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel told Fox News Digital.
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The doctor emphasized other symptoms to watch for, including weakness on one side, slurred speech, difficulty processing information and confusion.
The ASA also warns that severe headaches can also be a sign of stroke.
At the first sign of stroke, 911 should be contacted immediately, as 1.9 million brain cells die every minute that a stroke goes untreated. (iStock)
Siegel advised against giving the person an aspirin, as it could worsen bleeding in the brain if that is the cause of stroke.
With an ischemic stroke, that type of medication could be helpful.
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The ASA says 1.9 million brain cells die every minute that a stroke goes untreated, which means earlier treatment leads to higher survival rates and lower risk of disability.
“In medicine, we use the term ‘time is brain,’” Siegel said. “This means that the faster you bring the patient to the emergency room, the faster they can receive emergency treatment if indicated to reopen the blocked artery in the brain, if there is one.”
Brain imaging should be done within the first several hours after seeking medical attention for a stroke, according to a top physician. (iStock)
Brain imaging can also be done on arrival at the ER, which should occur within the first several hours, Siegel said.
Anyone who is experiencing a stroke should not drive themselves to the hospital, according to the CDC. Instead, the person should get a ride or call 911 — as treatment begins inside the ambulance.
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About 80% of strokes are preventable, the American Heart Association states.
Prevention includes managing high blood pressure, diabetes, atrial fibrillation and other risk factors.
One in four survivors have another stroke within the next five years, per CDC data, so those at higher risk should prepare a prevention and treatment plan.
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Fox News Digital’s Alexander Hall contributed to this report.
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Health
Single infusion of controversial drug changed severe depression symptoms within hours, study finds
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People experiencing severe depression with suicidal symptoms may not have to wait weeks for traditional antidepressants to take effect.
A recent review suggests that a single intravenous ketamine infusion can provide rapid relief for some patients.
Originally developed as an anesthetic, ketamine is a medicine that can reduce pain and, in some cases, help treat depression, but it can also be misused as a recreational drug, experts warn.
SINGLE DOSE OF POWERFUL PSYCHEDELIC CUTS DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS IN CLINICAL STUDY
Researchers from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine reviewed 26 clinical trials that included more than 1,100 patients. Approximately 626 received ketamine and 540 served as controls who did not take the drug.
Most of the trials included patients with major depressive disorder, but 11.5% included those with bipolar depression and 7.7% included people with both unipolar and bipolar depressive diagnoses.
A recent review suggests that a single intravenous ketamine infusion can provide rapid relief for some patients with treatment-resistant depression. (iStock)
Compared to a placebo, a single treatment significantly reduced depression in just four hours and dramatically lowered suicidal thoughts within 24 hours, the study found.
Patients reported fewer depressive symptoms after a week and reduced suicidal thoughts for up to a month after one ketamine infusion. Those who received repeated ketamine infusions showed a similar reduction of suicidal and depressive symptoms at the end of the treatment.
WHAT IS KETAMINE THERAPY? MORMON REALITY STARS TOUT CONTROVERSIAL TREATMENT
The most common adverse effects of ketamine – including headaches, numbness, dissociation (“out of body” experiences), nausea, dizziness and visual disturbances – were temporary and resolved within hours of the infusion.
Rarer, more serious side events included hospitalization, suicide attempts and suicide, but most were unrelated to ketamine, the review stated.
The analysis was published in May in JAMA Psychiatry.
Treatment-resistant depression
Major depressive disorder is a formal psychiatric diagnosis affecting approximately 280 million people globally, according to recent research.
Effective treatment involves a combination of therapy and medication, frequently antidepressants. However, for a few patients, symptoms do not respond to multiple therapies, a condition known as treatment-resistant depression, doctors say.
“When all existing treatment options fail, patients with severe depression could consider ketamine infusions.”
These patients are at a higher risk of very serious, sometimes tragic consequences, including suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts and death.
“When all existing treatment options fail, patients with severe depression could consider ketamine infusions,” lead author Taeho Greg Rhee, PhD, of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This is still a safer option when compared to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).”
Compared to a placebo, a single treatment significantly reduced depression in just four hours and dramatically lowered suicidal thoughts within 24 hours, the study found. (iStock)
Traditional antidepressants stabilize mood by slowly elevating serotonin levels in the brain, but it can take weeks for the full effect to be achieved.
Ketamine, in contrast, works rapidly by blocking glutamate, a neurotransmitter that can impact emotions negatively when levels are too high in the brain, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Implications for care
The authors say their findings have two important potential clinical applications.
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First, ketamine’s rapid effects can be a life-saving treatment in the emergency room for patients presenting with suicidal ideation.
Experts caution that the medication should only be administered in closely monitored settings, such as clinics, to ensure safe treatment. (iStock)
Second, the effects of a single ketamine infusion are relatively short-lived – as almost all patients relapsed with depressive symptoms after a single infusion – so those with treatment-resistant depression will need repeated sessions.
“While intravenous ketamine is not yet FDA-approved for treating depression, it may still be used with off-label indications for those with severe depression and/or with a high risk of suicidal behaviors,” said Rhee.
Experts urge caution despite promise
Dr. Lama Bazzi, a psychiatrist in private practice in New York City, has had several patients receive ketamine infusions.
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“For a small subset of patients in a major depressive episode or struggling with suicidal thoughts, intravenous ketamine can be genuinely lifesaving,” Bazzi, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “The relief they experience is almost immediate, offering them distance from the intensity of their emotions.”
However, she cautions that the medication should only be administered in closely monitored settings, such as clinics, to ensure safe treatment.
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Ketamine is not a panacea, Rhee agreed, warning of the potential risk of abuse and addiction.
“It should only be used medically,” he advised.
Ketamine’s rapid effects can be a life-saving treatment in the emergency room for patients presenting with suicidal ideation, some experts claim. (Getty Images)
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, noted in previous comments to Fox News Digital that ketamine is increasingly being used to treat severe depression, but emphasized that it should be administered under careful medical supervision because of its potential risks.
Study limitations
Although the studies compared ketamine with a placebo, some patients may have realized they were receiving the drug. This could have influenced how they reported their symptoms and how effective they perceived the treatment to be, according to the researchers.
“It should only be used medically.”
Another limitation is the small sample size of the studies, which could make the effects seem disproportionately magnified.
Also, as this was a review of many different studies, it is challenging to apply the findings to the general population, the researchers noted.
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“While long-term outcomes have not been studied, I believe that when patients are severely depressed or suicidal, ketamine is sometimes the only choice that almost always works,” Bazzi added.
Anyone interested in exploring alternative depression treatments should first consult a doctor.
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