Chen CY, Li SN, Li XX, Zhou B. Mindfulness-based interventions in oncology: A scoping review of outcomes and applications. World J Clin Cases 2025; 13(24): 106864 [DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v13.i24.106864]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Bo Zhou, PhD, Associate Professor, Chief Nurse, Department of Medicine, Bioscience and Nursing, Mahsa University, Jln SP 2, Bandar Saujana Putra, Selangor 42600, Malaysia. phdnu22036156@mahsastudent.edu.my
Research Domain of This Article
Oncology
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Cases. Aug 26, 2025; 13(24): 106864 Published online Aug 26, 2025. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v13.i24.106864
Mindfulness-based interventions in oncology: A scoping review of outcomes and applications
Cheng-Yun Chen, Sheng-Nan Li, Xin-Xin Li, Bo Zhou
Cheng-Yun Chen, Xin-Xin Li, Department of Medicine and Health, Meizhouwan Vocational Technology College, Putian 351100, Fujian Province, China
Cheng-Yun Chen, Bo Zhou, Department of Medicine, Bioscience and Nursing, Mahsa University, Selangor 42600, Malaysia
Sheng-Nan Li, Department of Nursing, The First Hospital of Putian City, Putian 351100, Fujian Province, China
Co-first authors: Cheng-Yun Chen and Sheng-Nan Li.
Author contributions: Chen CY, Li SN, Li XX and Zhou B contributed to this paper; Chen CY, Li SN and Li XX conceived the idea, designed the overall concept and outlined the manuscript; Zhou B reviewed and approved the manuscript.
Supported by the Teacher Education Research Project of Meizhouwan Vocational and Technical College, No. MZY2407; and Fujian Province Lifelong Education Quality Enhancement and Excellence Training Project, No. ZS24037.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Bo Zhou, PhD, Associate Professor, Chief Nurse, Department of Medicine, Bioscience and Nursing, Mahsa University, Jln SP 2, Bandar Saujana Putra, Selangor 42600, Malaysia. phdnu22036156@mahsastudent.edu.my
Received: March 10, 2025 Revised: March 24, 2025 Accepted: May 7, 2025 Published online: August 26, 2025 Processing time: 99 Days and 0.4 Hours
Abstract
Cancer significantly impacts patients' physical and mental health, leading to a wide range of effects from physical pain to psychological issues such as anxiety and depression, severely diminishing their quality of life. As an emerging psychosomatic intervention, mindfulness interventions have gained increasing attention. This scoping review systematically searches and filters relevant literature, covering databases from their inception to January 2025, aiming to comprehensively outline the application, research characteristics, and main outcomes of mindfulness interventions in cancer recovery. We employed the Arksey and O'Malley framework, utilizing electronic databases and manual searches to rigorously select studies and extract key data. Results indicate that mindfulness interventions show broad potential in improving cancer patients' mental health, physical symptoms, and quality of life, despite the heterogeneity of the evidence. Future research should focus on higher-quality randomized controlled trials to explore different intervention modalities and long-term effects and to analyze their underlying mechanisms. This paper particularly highlights the advancements in Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery, providing valuable references for clinical practice.
Core Tip: This scoping review synthesizes evidence on Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) in oncology, demonstrating their potential to improve mental health, physical symptoms, and quality of life for cancer patients. Utilizing the Arksey and O'Malley framework, the review highlights the broad application of MBIs, particularly Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery. Despite variability among previous studies, findings suggest that MBIs are promising psychosomatic interventions. Future research should prioritize high-quality randomized controlled trials to elucidate long-term effects and mechanisms, providing robust clinical guidance for integrating mindfulness into cancer care.
