Mindfulness Meditation in Bone Marrow Transplantation
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The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details. |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00165282 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : September 14, 2005
Last Update Posted : November 28, 2013
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Hematologic Malignancy Bone Marrow Transplantation Stem Cell Transplantation | Behavioral: Mindfulness training Behavioral: Nurse education | Phase 2 Phase 3 |
Patients will be assigned to one of three study groups:
- receives the normal standard care;
- meets with an oncology nurse educator, in addition to the regular nurses on the transplant team. The nurse educator will provide information and answers to patient's questions about the stem cell/bone marrow transplant experience; or
- is taught mindfulness meditation by a nurse who is trained to be a mindfulness instructor and by an audio CD.
Mindfulness meditation is a technique that may help in coping with the stress and difficulties associated with cancer and undergoing a stem cell/bone marrow transplant. It involves learning to be in the present moment by paying attention to your breathing, sights, and sounds, and to sensations you may be experiencing, or thoughts and feelings you may be having.
Mindfulness meditation has been shown to be helpful to patients in the clinic who have cancer and other medical conditions.
Patients, regardless of random group assignment, will complete a questionnaire 8 different times, from before they are admitted to the hospital until 6 months after discharge.
Patients will also provide two urine samples while in the hospital to measure the levels of stress hormones present in the urine.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 241 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Official Title: | Mindfulness Meditation in Bone Marrow Transplantation |
Study Start Date : | April 2005 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | January 2010 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | June 2011 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
No Intervention: Usual Care
Normal standard of care
|
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Active Comparator: Nurse education
Meets with oncology nurse
|
Behavioral: Nurse education
Meets with oncology nurse to have questions answered about medical treatments and side effects |
Experimental: Mindfulness training
Taught Mindfulness meditation
|
Behavioral: Mindfulness training
Taught mindfulness meditation by mindfulness instructor (trained health care professional/RN) and audio c/d |
- Psychological functioning [ Time Frame: 1 year ]
- Number of days to bone marrow engraftment [ Time Frame: 1 year ]
- Medication use [ Time Frame: 1 year ]
- Urinary stress hormones (cortisol and catecholamines) [ Time Frame: 1 year ]
- Transplant related complications [ Time Frame: 1 year ]
- Hospital length of stay and re-hospitalizations [ Time Frame: 1 year ]
- Physical symptoms [ Time Frame: 1 year ]
- Quality of life [ Time Frame: 1 year ]

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
Ages Eligible for Study: | 21 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Autologous stem cell transplantation for hematologic malignancy
- First transplant
- 21 years of age or older
- Speaks and understands English
Exclusion Criteria:
- Planned tandem (more than one) transplant
- Taking corticosteroids on a regular basis for a chronic condition
- Prior formal mindfulness meditation training
- Significant cognitive impairment and/or confirmed psychosis or thought disorder

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00165282
United States, Georgia | |
Emory University | |
Atlanta, Georgia, United States | |
United States, Massachusetts | |
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | |
Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115 | |
University of Massachusetts Medical School | |
Worcester, Massachusetts, United States, 01655 |
Principal Investigator: | Susan Bauer-Wu, PhD | Emory University |
Responsible Party: | Susan Bauer-Wu, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor, University of Virginia |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00165282 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
IRB00005285 |
First Posted: | September 14, 2005 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | November 28, 2013 |
Last Verified: | November 2013 |
Meditation Mindfulness meditation Bone Marrow Transplant Stem Cell Transplant |
Hematologic Neoplasms Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Hematologic Diseases |