The Effect of Greek Traditional Dance on the Quality of Life of Cancer Patients

Introduction: Cancer is one of the most serious health problems today and is the second most common cause of death. The consequences of the disease experienced by patients greatly contribute to the reduction of their quality of life. In an effort to maintain a satisfactory level of health, but also to prevent possible future illnesses, exercise, and in particular dance, is potentially a powerful and beneficial tool. Purpose: Study of the effect of a program of Greek traditional dances on the quality of life in cancer patients of all forms regardless of being under or after their treatment. Material and Method: The research program was conducted from January 2017 to November 2019 with the participation of 300 cancer patients from Attica hospitals and non-profit cancer patients' organizations. They were randomly divided into two groups, 150 of them in the experimental group and the remaining 150 in the control group. Participants in the experimental group attended a program of teaching Greek traditional dances with two lessons per week, 60 min each, for 8 weeks, while the control group did not participate in any physical activity. Data collection was performed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 Quality of Life Questionnaire (Greek version 3.0) which assess the quality of life of cancer patients. The statistical analyses used were: a reliability analysis (Cronbach's α) and a Deviation-Dependent Analysis (One-Way Repeated). Results: A statistically significant improvement in all factors of quality of life was found in patients of the experimental group (except that of "Nausea-Vomiting"). Specifically, there was a statistically significant difference in physical function (F=1559.851, p<0.001), role function (F=537.958, p<0.001), emotional function (F=1954.652, p<0.001), and cognitive function (F=1055.667, p<0.001), social function (F=920.005, p<0.001), fatigue (F=2016.463, p<0.001), pain (F=797.666, p<0.001), dyspnea (F=412.962, p<0.001), sleep disturbances (F=542.641, p<0.001), loss of appetite (F=278.861, p<0.001), constipation (F=160.037, p<0.001), diarrhea (F=154.197, p<0.001), financial impact (F=177.628, p<0.001), and overall quality of health (F=1102.049, p<0.001). On the contrary, the results in the control group showed statistically significant differences only in emotional function (F=3.789, p=0.025), cognitive function (F=3.355, p=0.038), and financial impact (F=13.728, p<0.01), and in general health (F=26.615, p<0.001). Conclusions: Participation in a program of Greek traditional dances, a pleasant form of aerobic physical activity, can improve the indicators of quality of life for cancer patients and be part of their necessary psychosocial support.