Impact of mindfulness meditation in patients with advanced cancer

This project was initiated by the meeting of Prof. Dambrun and Dr. Ménard, a mindfulness meditation instructor practicing in a specialized oncology facility.

Mindfulness Meditation is a practice taught in the form of programs, whose beneficial effects on health have been demonstrated in an abundant literature. However, this practice has been little explored with cancer patients, and even less in the palliative phase of the disease. Moreover, Dambrun et al (15) have explored the effect of this practice on the sense of identity, with healthy volunteers: it would increase well-being through a decrease in the salience of the Self (i.e. reduction of the minimal self and the narrative self).



The aim of this project is to study the impact of Mindfulness Meditation in palliative cancer patients in 2 phases.

Phase 1: Identify the specific physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of palliative cancer patients that need to be taken into account in the practice of mindfulness meditation.
Phase 2: Study the impact of mindfulness meditation in palliative cancer patients
Phase 2: To study the impact of practicing Mindfulness Meditation exercises developed during an Intermediate Phase in palliative cancer patients.