A recent study has found that compassionate mind training (CMT), a structured eight-week program that integrates 'mindfulness' with specific exercises to cultivate compassion, significantly reduces depression, anxiety, and psychological distress in people with cancer and their relatives.
Furthermore, this intervention increases self-compassion and decentering, that is, the ability to distance oneself from difficult thoughts and emotions. Improvements were also recorded in quality of life, daily functioning, and physical symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and insomnia.
This is indicated by this prospective and multicenter work that has analyzed the impact of compassionate mind training. The research, presented at the ESMO Congress of 2026, included 503 participants, of whom more than 80 percent were cancer patients, and compared CMT with 'mindfulness' and with a control group on a waiting list.
"We understand compassion as the motivation and action to address suffering. The program trains both self-care and the ability to receive or offer care from others," explained the study's author Begoña Mellado, medical oncologist at the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS researcher, and associate professor at the University of Barcelona.
The psychological improvements were greater than those observed in the control group and in the 'mindfulness' group, even after applying correction for multiple comparisons. Nevertheless, as it is a non-randomized study, the authors emphasize that, although the results are encouraging, it will be necessary to confirm them in randomized clinical trials.
Adherence to the program was high: 75.8 percent of participants completed the CMT. Likewise, 90.2 percent reported no perceived harm and no dropouts related to emotional distress caused by the intervention were recorded.
"We believe that it is indeed feasible to incorporate this type of program into routine oncological care," noted Mellado. However, she insists that its implementation must be supported by specifically trained professionals, include a prior assessment and follow-up, and be closely coordinated with psycho-oncology teams.
For the specialist, "psychological-oncological support should be part of routine care, not a resource that is only accessed when suffering is very intense." At the same time, she recalls that interventions based on 'mindfulness' and compassion can complement, but not replace specialized psychological or psychiatric care when it is necessary.
A dietary intervention to mitigate the toxicity of immunotherapy
During the ESMO congress, a dietary intervention study aimed at reducing the toxicity associated with immunotherapy (FORX, for its acronym in English) was also presented. The objective was to evaluate whether introducing at least 30 different types of plants per week —vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds— during the first 12 weeks of immunotherapy treatment can modulate the intestinal microbiome and attenuate immune-mediated adverse effects.
"We are increasingly aware that the microbiome is involved both in the evolution of cancer and in the efficacy and toxicity of treatments. That is why we wondered if we could improve its composition by modifying the diet in a simple and applicable way outside the clinical setting," detailed Marthe Verhaert from the Free University of Brussels (VUB) and the University Hospital of Brussels (UZ Brussel).
In total, 54 patients were evaluable for the main analysis. Throughout the intervention, the average fiber intake increased from 20.2 to 28.8 grams per day. Additionally, 75 percent of patients with analyzable dietary records consumed more than 25 grams of fiber per day during the active treatment period. At six weeks, modifications in the composition of the microbiome were also detected.
"Adding 30 different plants per week is feasible and allows for a sustained increase in fiber intake, even during active cancer treatment," notes Verhaert.
53.7 percent of participants experienced some immune-mediated adverse effect during immunotherapy, although most were mild. Only two grade 3 events were reported and none of grade 4.
According to the researchers, these initial data are promising, but it will be essential to conduct additional analyses to clarify whether the dietary intervention truly contributes to reducing the toxicity of immunotherapy.
"We still need to better understand what the observed changes in the microbiome mean from a functional and clinical point of view," concludes Verhaert.