A recent randomized controlled pilot study suggests that Baduanjin, a traditional Chinese mind-body exercise, may help alleviate menopausal symptoms and fatigue in breast cancer patients undergoing aromatase inhibitor therapy. The study, published in Translational Exercise Biomedicine (ISSN: 2942-6812), an official partner journal of International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS).
Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women worldwide. For postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, aromatase inhibitors are a cornerstone of treatment, significantly reducing the risk of cancer recurrence. However, these medications often cause severe side effects, such as joint pain, hot flashes and persistent fatigue, that lead nearly 37% of patients to discontinue treatment within five years.
While aerobic and resistance exercise are commonly recommended to manage these side effects, their high-intensity nature makes them unsuitable for cancer patients. In contrast, Baduanjin offers a gentle, culturally rooted alternative that integrates slow movement, diaphragmatic breathing and mindfulness.
The trial was conducted at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital and Guangzhou Sport University, recruiting 70 breast cancer patients on aromatase inhibitors for at least six months experiencing significant menopausal symptoms. Participants were randomly assigned into two groups: Baduanjin exercise group, participating in a 12-week supervised program with three 90-min sessions per week, and control group, given with usual care without structured exercise.
According to Prof. Min Hu, President of Guangzhou Sport University and also the corresponding author, the study was designed to "first verify the feasibility of a 12-week supervised Baduanjin program in this cohort, and second, to explore its preliminary efficacy in alleviating menopausal-like symptoms and modulating serum inflammatory biomarkers." This dual focus on practical implementation and biological mechanism reflects a growing interest in integrative approaches to oncology care.
Of 70 participants initially enrolled, 39 completed the 12-week program including 24 in the Baduanjin group and 15 in the control group. The lower dropout rate in the exercise group (31.4% vs. 57.1% in controls) suggests that the intervention was well tolerated, though the authors caution that the difference in adherence may have influenced outcomes.
Patients in the Baduanjin group showed significant improvements in several key aspects. Most notably, they experienced a marked reduction in arthralgia (joint pain), a common and often debilitating side effect of aromatase inhibitors. Reductions in hot flash frequency were also observed, though these did not reach statistical significance.
Fatigue, a multidimensional burden for many cancer patients, was also assessed using the Piper Fatigue Scale. The Baduanjin group showed significant improvements in the affective and cognitive/mood dimensions of fatigue, indicating that the practice may help mitigate not only physical tiredness but also emotional and mental exhaustion that often accompanies cancer treatment.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the study was its exploration of inflammatory biomarkers. Researchers measured IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α levels before and after corresponding interventions. IL-1β and TNF-α showed no significant differences between two groups, whereas IL-6 levels increased significantly in the Baduanjin group compared to controls.
This finding appears counterintuitive, since IL-6 is often associated with inflammation. However, the authors note that IL-6 can play complex, even beneficial, roles during exercise. Unlike chronic inflammation driven by cancer or treatment, IL-6 released during physical activity may support metabolic regulation and anti-inflammatory processes. This suggests that the rise in IL-6 observed in this study could reflect a positive adaptive response rather than a harmful one.
The results support the use of Baduanjin as a feasible, low-intensity adjunct therapy for breast cancer survivors struggling with treatment-related side effects. Its mindful, slow-paced nature makes it particularly suitable for patients who may be unable to engage in intense forms of exercise.
Prof. Xiaohui Hou, Vice President of Guangzhou Sport University and the first author, indicated that "Baduanjin exercise may serve as a feasible, low-intensity adjunctive therapy for ameliorating aromatase inhibitor-induced menopausal symptoms and fatigue, with distinct immunomodulatory effects on IL-6." She also emphasized, however, that these findings are preliminary and require validation through larger sample size and longer-term studies.
