“Nourishing Life while Curing the disease”: a prospective real-world study on a digital Qigong program for symptom burden in patients undergoing anticancer treatment

Background Cancer-related fatigue, emotional distress, and treatment-related symptoms remain major unmet needs among patients undergoing active anticancer treatment. Qigong is an increasingly recognized mind-body intervention within Integrative Oncology. This study evaluated longitudinal changes in fatigue, emotional distress, symptom burden, and quality of life associated with a structured online Qigong program in patients receiving active cancer treatment. Methods This longitudinal, single-arm, real-world observational analysis included 43 adults with solid or hematological malignancies undergoing active anticancer treatment. Patient-reported data were prospectively collected within a nationwide, remotely delivered supportive care program. Participants were recruited nationwide in Italy through patient advocacy networks, online communities, social media, and professional referrals. The intervention consisted of weekly 90-minute online Qigong sessions delivered over 8 weeks, followed by a 4-week observation period. Patient-reported outcomes were collected weekly and included Piper Fatigue Scale-derived fatigue, emotional distress, positive well-being, physical symptom burden, and global quality of life. Results A total of 369 questionnaires were analyzed across the 12-week study period. Significant improvements were observed between baseline (Week 1) and the end of follow-up (Week 12) across all evaluated outcome domains. Fatigue decreased from 6.48 to 3.87 (mean change, −2.61; p=0.001), emotional distress decreased from 5.41 to 2.32 (mean change, −3.09; p<0.001), and physical symptom burden decreased from 3.70 to 1.89 (mean change, −1.81; p=0.003). Positive well-being increased from 4.43 to 6.31 (mean change, +1.88; p=0.002), while global quality of life improved from 4.95 to 6.75 (mean change, +1.80; p=0.003). Conclusions Participation in a structured Qigong program was associated with statistically significant and sustained improvements in fatigue, emotional distress, physical symptoms, and quality of life among patients receiving active cancer treatment. These findings support the feasibility of integrating a digital Qigong program into routine supportive oncology pathways. Given the single-arm design and absence of a control group, these findings should be considered hypothesis-generating and warrant confirmation in controlled studies.