RATIONALE: Mindful movement is a self-directed activity of mindfulness (intention, attention, and attitude) and physical movement. A mindful movement program may be effective in improving well-being in older women who are breast cancer survivors.

PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial is studying how well a mindful movement program works in improving quality of life in older female breast cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVES:

• To test the effects of the 12-week Mindful Movement Program on quality of life in older female breast cancer survivors.
• To test the effects of this program on mindfulness outcomes in these participants.
• To compare mindfulness qualities in the experimental group with the control group.
• To determine the qualitative benefits of this program as described by these participants.

OUTLINE: Participants are randomized to 1 of 2 intervention arms.

• Arm I (Mindful Movement Program [MMP]): Participants undergo a 2-hour MMP session once weekly for 12 weeks. Participants are encouraged to practice intentional-mindful movement at home 5 minutes daily during weeks 1-4, 10 minutes daily during weeks 5-8, and 15 minutes daily during weeks 9-12. Mindful movement is a self-directed activity incorporating mindfulness concepts and physical movement. Mindfulness consists of the three core elements: intention (reasons for participating in a mindfulness intervention), attention (observing experiences in the present moment), and attitude (nonjudgmental openness and acceptance of experiences). Each MMP session includes verbal sharing with a partner and the group and movement individually and with a partner, while focusing on the elements of mindfulness. Music is incorporated into some portion of each session.
• Arm II (control): Participants undergo no intervention. All participants complete questionnaires for sociodemographic and individual characteristics, quality of life (including psychological, social, spiritual, and physical well-being, anxiety and depression, fear of recurrence, body image, and upper body symptoms), movement, and mindfulness (including attention, self-compassion, and intention) at baseline and weeks 12 and 18.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 75 participants (45 in the experimental group and 30 in the control group) will be accrued for this study.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Breast cancer survivor

  • At least 12 months since completion of treatment (chemotherapy, biotherapy [e.g., trastuzumab], or radiotherapy)

• No evidence of metastatic disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• English speaking
• Not under acute psychological distress
• Not using an assistive device (cane, walker, or wheelchair)
• Able to participate in the Mindful Movement Program by a medical release from the patient's physician
• Pregnancy allowed

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• Concurrent selective estrogen-receptor modulator permitted
• No other concurrent treatment