"Bright White Light Therapy Reduces Fatigue Among Cancer Survivors"
Cancer survivors who used systematic bright white light therapy in the mornings experienced beneficial effects with sleep and also felt less fatigued, according to results of a randomized trial. Disturbances in sleep patterns are common among cancer survivors. Although bright light therapy has been used to improve sleep in other patient populations, it has not been thoroughly studied in the cancer population. William H. Redd, PhD, professor of oncological sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and colleagues examined whether morning administration of bright white light therapy affected sleep quality among 37 fatigued cancer survivors. Study results showed mean sleep efficiency in the bright white light group was in the normal range both at the end of the intervention and 3 weeks after the intervention. “This work is extremely exciting, and it is amazing that we have not studied this among patients with cancer before. Circadian rhythm is important, and its disruption negatively impacts people, particularly patients with and survivors of cancer,” said Dr. Redd.
- William H. Redd, PhD, Professor, Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
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