Effects of Online Yoga on Quality of Life in Women with Breast Cancer (YOMA Study)

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. Even after completing standard treatment—which consists of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or hormone therapy—many survivors report fatigue, sleep problems, restlessness, or chronic stress. To date, it has been difficult to effectively treat these symptoms. Yoga is a practice that combines physical movement with mindfulness and relaxation. It is intended to help alleviate typical long-term symptoms following breast cancer treatment—such as fatigue, sleep disturbances, anxiety, or inner restlessness—without the use of medication. Yoga is specifically used to restore balance to the body and mind.

The goal of the YOMA study is therefore to examine whether yoga can be a meaningful complement to medical follow-up care. The yoga exercises are guided online in a group setting and then continued independently at home. Patients are randomly assigned to one of three groups and know which group they belong to (open-label study design). In the first group, patients receive a weekly 90-minute online yoga class in the Iyengar style over a period of eight weeks. This style emphasizes the precise execution of postures and is supported by props such as blocks or straps. Patients are also instructed to practice independently for at least 30 minutes each day. The second group participates in a meditative yoga program, which also consists of a weekly 90-minute online session over eight weeks. In addition to physical exercises and relaxation, this program focuses on meditation. Each session is supplemented by an introduction to simple, non-ideological, ethical principles from yoga philosophy. In this group as well, daily independent practice of at least 30 minutes is recommended. The third group is the so-called waiting-list control group. These patients do not initially participate in any active intervention but are given the opportunity after four months to voluntarily complete one of the two yoga programs.

All patients are monitored over a total of 24 weeks (approximately six months). The key assessment time points are at the start of the study (baseline), immediately after the intervention (after 8 weeks), and subsequently at 16 and 24 weeks. Standardized questionnaires are used to assess aspects such as quality of life, fatigue, perceived stress, psychological well-being, and other health-related factors.

Eligible participants are women between the ages of 18 and 75 with histologically confirmed early-stage (I–III) breast cancer, whose diagnosis occurred no more than five years ago and whose primary treatment (e.g., surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy) was completed at least three months ago. Prerequisites include a self-reported impairment in quality of life and a willingness to participate regularly. Women who are currently undergoing or planning cancer treatment, who have severe mental health conditions or physical limitations, or who are pregnant or breastfeeding are excluded. Participants who regularly practice yoga or meditation (more than twice a month) or are participating in other similar studies are also ineligible.