The Use of Meditation in Cancer Treatment: From Tumour Regression to the Biology of Healing. A Synthesis of the Strongest Evidence (2000–2026)
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Introduction. The article published on Neuroscienze.net, The Use of Meditation in Cancer Treatment:Studies from 1975 to 2000, closed with a note of caution but also of hope: several findings suggestedthat the mind might play a deeper role in cancer than the science of the time could demonstrate.Twenty-five years later, the scientific literature of the new millennium has identified measurablebiological mechanisms, quantified clinical effects through meta-analyses involving thousands ofpatients, and documented cases of regression and remission that, however rare, can no longer bedismissed as mere curiosities.Objective. This narrative synthesis selects solid and representative evidence emerging between2000 and 2026 on the role of meditation—in all its currently studied forms (mindfulness, Tran-scendental Meditation, yoga, pranayama, qigong, tai chi, Buddhist meditation, contemplativeprayer, heartfulness meditation)—in cancer treatment, with attention to biological mechanisms,clinical outcomes, exceptional cases of regression or remission, and ongoing research.Methods. PubMed/PMC, Europe PMC, peer-reviewed journals, the OSF/MindRxiv, PsyArXiv,SSRN, medRxiv and Zenodo platforms, the WHO ICTRP and ISRCTN clinical trial registries,the PROSPERO register, the Figshare repository, and the CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web ofScience, Semantic Scholar and BASE databases were consulted.Results. Meditation restores Natural Killer cell activity and interferon-γ production (Witek-Janusek et al., 2008); reduces inflammatory markers and normalises cortisol (systematic reviews;Yu et al., 2025); maintains telomere length (Carlson et al., 2015); and modifies DNA methylationin inflammation-related genes, with open data deposited on Figshare. A meta-analysis of45 RCTs and 7,395 participants confirms large reductions in depression (g = −0.92), anxiety(g = −1.06) and stress (g = −1.50) (Ajele & Idemudia, 2026). A meta-analysis of 46 RCTs showssignificant effects on positive outcomes—mindfulness skills, self-compassion, coping, well-being,post-traumatic growth (g = 1.40) and spirituality (Badaghi et al., 2024). Pranayama reducesfatigue, sleep disturbances, nausea and vomiting (Momeni et al., 2025). Yoga, qigong and tai chiimprove quality of life, with convincing evidence for yoga on depressive symptoms (Wen et al.,2025). Transcendental Meditation improves quality of life in stage II–IV (Nidich et al., 2009). Ameta-synthesis of 18 cases reports that 50% achieved complete and sustained remission (Pokorny,2026, preprint).Conclusions. Meditation does not “cure” cancer, but it is a complementary intervention withmeasurable biological bases, quantified clinical efficacy, and a documented association—in rarebut real cases—with tumour regression and remission. It is low-cost, low-risk, free of side effects,and can be practised at home.
Author: Alessandro Mahony
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225459735