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Optimal mind–body exercise for quality of life, anxiety, and depression in cancer patients and survivors: A pairwise, network, and dose–response meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials

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Applied Psychology Health and Well-Being

Published online on

Abstract

["Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, Volume 18, Issue 4, August 2026. ", "\nAbstract\nMind–body exercise improves psychological outcomes in cancer patients, but the comparative efficacy of different modalities remains unclear. This study integrates pairwise, network, and dose–response meta‐analytic approaches to simultaneously compare multiple mind–body exercise modalities and establish intervention‐specific optimal doses in cancer patients. We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library from inception to December 31, 2025 for randomized controlled trials examining mind–body exercise interventions (yoga, tai chi, qigong, pilates, and dance) in cancer patients. Primary outcomes included quality of life, depression, and anxiety. We performed pairwise meta‐analysis with effect sizes reported as Hedges' g and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), Bayesian network meta‐analysis establishing efficacy hierarchies using surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) values, and dose–response meta‐analysis identifying optimal exercise volumes. We included 73 randomized controlled trials involving 5130 participants. Mind–body exercise significantly improved quality of life (Hedges' g = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.36 to 0.77), reduced depression (Hedges' g = −0.41, 95% CI: −0.65 to −0.17), and alleviated anxiety (Hedges' g = −0.89, 95% CI: −1.40 to −0.37). Network meta‐analysis revealed clear efficacy hierarchies: pilates ranked highest for quality of life (SUCRA = 84.80%), yoga for depression (SUCRA = 73.70%), and qigong for anxiety (SUCRA = 83.27%). Dose–response analysis identified an inverted U‐shaped relationship with an overall optimal dose of 490 MET‐min/week for quality of life (standardized mean difference, SMD = 0.904, 95% credible interval, CrI: 0.603 to 1.235), with intervention‐specific optimal doses ranging from 300 to 520 MET‐min/week. Mind–body exercise interventions effectively improve quality of life, reduce depression, and alleviate anxiety in cancer patients, with pilates, yoga, and qigong demonstrating superior efficacy across different outcomes, supporting evidence‐based, personalized prescription and integration as an accessible, complementary intervention for cancer‐related psychological distress.\n"]