For many people who've survived cancer, the mental fog that lingers after treatment—trouble remembering, focusing, or thinking clearly—is one of the most frustrating parts of recovery. They're looking for ways to feel like themselves again. A new analysis pooled data from 19 studies to see if qigong, a gentle practice combining slow movement, breathing, and meditation, could help. The review found that, compared to conventional care, qigong was linked to a significant improvement in how survivors rated their own cognitive function. In other words, people who practiced qigong felt their brain fog had lifted more. The analysis included 16 studies in its main calculation, which showed a large effect. However, it's crucial to understand what this does and doesn't tell us. The improvement was in 'subjective' function—how people felt—and the review notes there's still a lack of evidence on 'objective' cognitive tests. Also, the studies included were very different from each other, which makes it hard to draw a single, firm conclusion. No safety issues were reported in the review, but the analysis didn't focus on that detail.
Qigong shows large effect on subjective cognitive function in cancer survivors in meta-analysisCan gentle movement help cancer survivors struggling with brain fog?
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Key Takeaway
Consider qigong for subjective cognitive complaints in cancer survivors, but interpret with caution due to high heterogeneity.
A systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effectiveness of qigong for cancer-related cognitive impairment in cancer survivors. The analysis included 19 studies in the review, with 16 studies included in the quantitative meta-analysis. The comparator was conventional control, and the primary outcome was subjective cognitive function.
The main analysis found qigong was significantly more effective than conventional control for improving subjective cognitive function, with a large effect size of Hedge's g = 1.22 (95% CI: 0.47, 1.97; p < 0.001). Secondary outcomes included objective cognitive function, but evidence on this outcome was reported as lacking. Safety and tolerability data were not reported in the available evidence.
Key limitations include substantial heterogeneity between studies (96.64%), which warrants cautious interpretation of the pooled results. Additionally, the evidence pertains specifically to subjective cognitive function, with no reported findings on objective cognitive measures. The practice relevance is framed as qigong potentially being an effective non-pharmacological strategy for managing cancer-related cognitive impairment, though this is based on subjective reporting with high variability between studies.
What this means for you:
Qigong may help cancer survivors feel their thinking is clearer, but more evidence is needed. More on Cancer
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View Original Abstract ↓
PURPOSE: Qigong has shown potential as an intervention to improve cognitive function. However, research aimed at investigating its effectiveness on the management of cancer-related cognitive impairment in cancer survivors is scarce. To summarize and critically evaluate the effectiveness of qigong on managing cancer-related cognitive impairment among cancer survivors.
METHODS: A comprehensive search of six databases was conducted from inception to 12 May 2025. Eligible studies were independently screened and selected, and their methodological quality was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool 2.0. A meta-analysis was performed to summarize the overall effect size (Hedges' g) of qigong on subjective cognitive function. Subgroup, leave-one-out, and meta-regression analyses were conducted.
RESULTS: Nineteen studies were included in the review, and sixteen in the meta-analysis. Evidence on objective cognitive function is lacking. The overall effect size of qigong was significantly large compared to the conventional control in improving subjective cognitive function (Hedge's g = 1.22; 95% CI: 0.47, 1.97; p < 0.001) with robustness. The heterogeneity of 96.64% warrants cautious interpretation of the results, despite the statistically significant moderator of follow-up period after intervention (coefficient = 0.116, p = 0.003).
CONCLUSION: The significant effect size indicates that qigong has a strong potential to improve subjective cognitive function in cancer patients. Qigong can be an effective non-pharmacological strategy for managing cancer-related cognitive impairment.
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