Beth Sanders Moore: New Study on Meditation A Boon For Breast Cancer Survivors


We at CancerForward and our social media communities are very excited about a study published this week that brings ground-breaking news for breast cancer survivors. For the first time, researchers have shown that practicing mindfulness meditation has a positive physical impact at the cellular level in breast cancer survivors. For many years, oncologists have known that alternative or integrative therapies likes meditation bolster the emotional well-being of cancer survivors.

A team from Alberta Health Services’ Tom Baker Cancer Centre and the University of Calgary Department of Oncology has demonstrated that telomeres, the protein complexes at the end of chromosomes, maintain their length in breast cancer survivors who meditate. Longer telomeres are believed to protect against disease, while shortened telomeres are associated with cell aging and several disease states.

The study has been published online in the journal Cancer.

“The research gives an extraordinary view into the positive benefits of meditation for cancer survivors,” says Beth Sanders Moore, founder of CancerForward. “After talking this week with my colleagues in survivorship advocacy, I can say there’s a high level of interest in seeing additional study. Many of us have been longtime proponents of mindfulness meditation; we encourage doctors to consider recommending it as a therapy whenever possible.”

Moore, a breast cancer survivor, has practiced mindfulness meditation daily since 2004, guided by psychotherapist and author Micki Fine, MEd, LPC. For the past decade, Moore has shared the positive outcomes of her practice with survivor audiences nationwide. At her invitation, ABC News Anchor and author Dan Harris will report his personal experience with meditation at a CancerForward forum in Houston, Wednesday, November 12.

Harris’ best-selling book – “10% Happier” – tells of the underreported world of CEOs, athletes, physicians and military leaders who now use meditation for increased calm, focus and stress-management.

The CancerForward forum is funded by a grant from The H. Rudy Teichman Family.

Category: Cancer

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