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Alberta researchers test light therapy to help with post-cancer fatigue

Oct. 15, 2013 — A new research study involving Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the University of Calgary is now examining whether light therapy will help people with chronic fatigue who have successfully completed their treatment for cancer.

Cancer-related fatigue is reported to be one of the most prevalent and distressing symptoms experienced by cancer patients and can last for several months or even years in up to a third of survivors.

October 15, 2013  By Massage Therapy Canada staff


"We know that exercise and changes to diet can help some of these people
regain their energy, but they involve complex behaviour changes that
aren’t always feasible in many cases," said Jillian Johnson, the study’s
research co-ordinator and a PhD student in psychology at U of C.

"If
light therapy proves to have some measurable benefits, then it could be
an easily accessible and simple form of treatment with the potential to
benefit many people."

Researchers will assess whether light
therapy helps improve sleep, quality of life, immune function and
measures of stress hormones in 128 people who have completed their
cancer treatments for at least three months. Two different wavelengths
of light will be tested to see if one is more effective than the other.

Although
light therapy has been shown to help people with cancer-related fatigue
during treatment, it has never been evaluated in survivors.

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Light
therapy has long proven beneficial to people suffering the low moods of
seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which can occur in the decreased
daylight of fall and winter. In the case of cancer patients, it’s
thought that light therapy may help reset the body’s sleep cycle, which
potent chemotherapy agents can sometimes disrupt.

Dr. Linda
Carlson, a psychologist with AHS’ CancerControl Psychosocial Resources
department at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, is the co-principal
investigator in the study, along with the U of C’s Dr. Tavis Campbell.

"For
many people, cancer-related fatigue can be the one lingering obstacle
to regaining a satisfying life after cancer," said Dr. Carlson.

Diane
Franssen, a 66-year-old breast cancer survivor who participated in a
pilot of the study, believes light therapy made a significant difference
in her energy and quality of life.

"I’ll never forget it. After
about a week of using the light therapy, I woke up one morning and my
exhaustion was gone – I felt totally different," Franssen said.
Diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2012, she underwent
chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. After her treatment, she said she
simply hit a wall of exhaustion that severely reduced her stamina and
affected her sleep.

During the study, Franssen sat in front of a
high-powered tabletop light therapy device every morning as she drank
her coffee and read the news on her laptop. She was so convinced of the
benefits of the practice that, after completing the pilot, she purchased
a device to use on her own.

"I still don’t have all my strength
and stamina back but a lot of the fatigue has gone away and I’m sleeping
a lot better," she says.

To be eligible, study participants must
be at least three months clear of their final cancer treatment and must
not be a shift worker or suffer from sleep apnea. Participants will be
required to give blood, maintain a sleep diary, use a light therapy
device daily for four weeks, and visit a lab at U of C four times.

Anyone
interested in participating should phone 403-210-8606 or email
lite@ucalgary.ca.
More information can be found at www.thelitestudy.ca.

The study is supported by the Canadian Cancer Society and the Alberta Cancer Foundation.


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