Summary
Stress reduction has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Cancer. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Stress reduction to Cancer: 2 are active or not yet recruiting; 6 have completed. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 151 participants. Registration activity spans 2012 to 2026. The literature layer holds 15 publications for this pair: 5 Cochrane reviews, 3 meta-analyses, 1 systematic review, 1 randomised controlled trial publication and 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2025 to 2026. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Cancer ranks 1226 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Spontaneous regression is rare (<0.5% of cases); 5-year survival without treatment: <5% for advanced NSCLC; ~20% for stage I-II with surgery.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | C · Preliminary |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 54.0 (trials 19.0, literature 30.0, tier 5, approved bonus 0.0) |
| Registered trials | 8 total: 0 recruiting, 2 active / not yet recruiting, 6 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 15 (5 Cochrane reviews, 5 clinical trial publications, 3 meta-analyses, 1 systematic review, 1 randomised controlled trial publication) |
| Agent type | Behavioural (Lifestyle) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Preclinical |
| Mechanism / class | Cancer metabolism as a therapeutic target and review of interventions · Halma M, Tuszynski JA · 2023 |
| Data sources | OSMF Chronic Disease Review |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT04184557 | Effectiveness of a Mindfulness Smartphone App to Reduce Emotional Distress in People With Cancer Waiting for Surgery 2019 | completed | Not applicable | 102 |
| NCT05469334 | DeStress for Health: Partnering With Granville and Vance Counties to Reduce Stress and Cancer Risk (Part 2) 2022 | completed | Not applicable | 14 |
| NCT02495376 | Reducing Emotional Distress, Enhancing Function and Improving Network Engagement in Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology 2014 | completed | Not applicable | 151 |
| NCT01919853 | Treatment for Persistently Fatigued Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Trial With Biomarker Response 2012 | completed | Not applicable | 107 |
| NCT05131490 | Effect on Adaptation to Cancer of Mobile Application Developed for Gynecological Cancer Patients 2022 | completed | Not applicable | 64 |
| NCT07470619 | Meditation for Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting in Women With Breast Cancer 2016 | completed | Not applicable | 102 |
| NCT06811454 | Mindfulness-based Intervention for Depressive Symptoms Sent Via Text (MINDSET) 2026 | not yet recruiting | Not applicable | 76 |
| NCT07229378 | Respiratory Muscle Strength Training to Prevent Respiratory Muscle Weakness in Adults Newly Diagnosed With Breast Cancer 2026 | not yet recruiting | Not applicable | 40 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Breast Cancer Survivors (MBSR[BC]) Improves Self-Reported OptimismRosenfeld LFG, Lengacher CA, Rodriguez CS et al. · Psycho-oncology · 2026 · PMID 42316845
- Clinical trial publication Effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction in managing fatigue, anxiety, and depression among non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy: A randomized controlled trialLiu X, Chen H, Cheng Y et al. · Medicine · 2026 · PMID 41931358
- Clinical trial publication Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Effects on Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Among Breast Cancer SurvivorsPoudel R, Tofthagen CS, Reich RR et al. · Psycho-oncology · 2026 · PMID 41831208
- Clinical trial publication A comprehensive evaluation of the health benefits of forest therapy for cancer survivorsWei RS, Chu YS, Hong MY et al. · Environmental health and preventive medicine · 2026 · PMID 41605676
- Clinical trial publication Circadian and gut-brain axis modulation is associated with neuroimmune and symptom recovery after rectal cancer surgery: An exploratory randomized controlled trialPan S, Wang G · Behaviour research and therapy · 2026 · PMID 41418645
- Cochrane review Comparative efficacy and safety of different acupuncture therapies for insomnia in breast cancer patients: A systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysisWang Z, Yang H, Zhou Z et al. · Complementary therapies in clinical practice · 2026 · PMID 42172705
- Cochrane review Effect of Multimodal Interventions on Pain, Stress, and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Neonates With Malignant and Benign Tumors: Protocol for a Systematic ReviewHullumani S, Sharad S, Ghosh A et al. · JMIR research protocols · 2026 · PMID 41529237
- Meta-analysis Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Adults With Cancer: A Stratified Subgroup Meta-AnalysisAjele KW, Idemudia ES · Psycho-oncology · 2026 · PMID 41820814
- Meta-analysis Meta-Analysis of the Use of Chinese Martial Arts Training for Alleviating Cancer-Related Fatigue in Cancer SurvivorsLau BKK, Liu TW, Ng SSM et al. · Cancer medicine · 2026 · PMID 41808394
- Meta-analysis Effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on quality of life in women breast cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysisTenorio do Amaral PG, Tosello GT, Silva Filho PP et al. · Breast (Edinburgh, Scotland) · 2026 · PMID 41570361
- Systematic review Pharmacological, psychosocial, and brain stimulation interventions in oncologic populations with mental disorders: An umbrella reviewFornaro M, Di Lorenzo C, De Berardis D et al. · Psychiatry research · 2026 · PMID 42184575
- Cochrane review Effects of Non-Pharmacological Interventions on Psychological Distress in Patients With Malignant Tumors: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-AnalysisZhang W, Ning X, Chen H et al. · Worldviews on evidence-based nursing · 2025 · PMID 41157806
- Cochrane review Information Needs of Patients With Head and Neck Cancer and Their Supports in Relation to Treatment Management Choices: Scoping ReviewStringer E, Rio LH, Leitz L et al. · JMIR cancer · 2025 · PMID 40840481
- Cochrane review Effects of non-pharmacological interventions on cancer-related cognitive impairment in patients with breast cancer: A systematic review and network meta-analysisYang P, Hu Q, Zhang L et al. · European journal of oncology nursing : the official journal of European Oncology Nursing Society · 2025 · PMID 39919600
- Randomized controlled trial Effects of hospice care combined with mindfulness-based stress reductiontherapy on negative emotions along with living quality in patients with advanced tumoursXu Q, Zhang X, Liu Y · JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association · 2025 · PMID 41248647
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: Cancer metabolism as a therapeutic target and review of interventions · Halma M, Tuszynski JA · 2023.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Stress reduction approved for Cancer?
Stress reduction has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Cancer. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Stress reduction in clinical trials for Cancer?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Stress reduction to Cancer: 2 are active or not yet recruiting; 6 have completed. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 151 participants. Registration activity spans 2012 to 2026.
What does the evidence show for Stress reduction in Cancer?
Stress reduction has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Cancer. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.