The effect of mind-body intervention on lymphocyte doubling time and treatment free survival in treatment-naïve chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients.

INTRODUCTION: Mind-Body Intervention (MBI) serves as supportive aid in oncology. We hypothesized that MBI could impact the progression of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) in the 'watch and wait' (w&w) phase.

METHODS: MBI was utilized in a non-randomized prospective controlled study between 02/2020-02/2022 in 76 treatment-naïve CLL patients in the w&w phase (37 intervention and 39 control patients). The primary and secondary endpoints were prolongation of Lymphocyte Doubling Time (LDT) and treatment-free survival (TFS). The prolongation of LDT was compared at 0, 180, 360, and 540 days using paired t-tests. TFS was compared between intervention and control groups using the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for TFS in the intervention group compared to the control, stratified by the study covariates.

RESULTS: MBI prolonged LDT at all time points, including at day 360 (Median of 2.47 years; CI 1.05-3.9; p= 0.001). TFS at 18 months was longer in the intervention group compared to the control group (HR 0.23; CI 0.06-0.79, p=0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: MBI was associated with prolonged LDT and TFS in patients with CLL in the w&w phase. These results provide a basis for a larger randomized-control trial.