Asian Pacifc Journal of Cancer Prevention, Vol 16, 2015 217 DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7314/APJCP.2015.16.1.217 Progressive Relaxation Exercises for Anxiety and Comfort of Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 16 (1), 217-220 Introduction Breast cancer is an important health issue, which is the second-most common disease after heart disease in Turkey and many countries around the world, with an increasing incidence (GLOBOCAN 2014). Breast cancer accounts for 45.1% of all cancers in women and the second leading cause of cancer death among women after lung cancer (Saglik Bakanligi 2012; 2014; Sathian et al., 2014). The diagnosis and treatment process of breast cancer causes patients to have problems such as pain, changes in body image and sexual life, psychological issues, impaired social life, and lymphedema (Sen and Aydiner, 2011; Yildiz et al., 2011; Enache, 2012). These factors lead to an increased level of anxiety and a reduced level of comfort for the patients (Kelleci et al., 2009; Aydogan et al., 2012; Inan and Ustun, 2013). As one of the effective methods on anxiety and comfort, relaxation exercises are a commonly used, effcient, and inexpensive method used to change the mental processes and behavior of the individual (Baltaş and Batlaş, 2012). For cancer patients, advanced nursing interventions, such as relaxation training, have positive effects on anxiety, due to the diffculties of the disease and the side effects of chemotherapy administered (Mishra et 1 Department Nursing, Health Sciences Faculty, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, 2 Department Nursing, Health College of Adana, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey *For correspondence: sevbanadana@hotmail.com Abstract Background: Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in the world and by far the most frequent cancer among women. Objective: This study was conducted to observe the effect of progressive relaxation exercises on anxiety and comfort level of breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: A control group pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental model was applied with experimental (30) and control (30) groups, who agreed to participate in this study. Data collection was with the “Personnel Information Form, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and General Comfort Scale”. Results: The average age of the patients that participated in the study was 49.1±7.96 years. Eighty-three point three percent (n=25) of the patients in the experiment group and 86.7 (n=26) percent of patients in control group were married. Patient state of anxiety post-test mean scores were 36.2±8.21 in the experimental group and 43.4±7.96 in the control group, the difference being statistically signifcant (p<0.05). The general comfort scale post-test mean scores were 149.5±13.9 in the experimental group and 137.7±15.0 in the control group, again statistically signifcant (p<0.05). Conclusions: Progressive relaxation exercises positively affect patient comfort and anxiety levels in Turkey. Keywords: Anxiety - comfort - breast cancer - progressive relaxation exercise - Turkey RESEARCH ARTICLE Effects of Progressive Relaxation Exercises on Anxiety and Comfort of Turkish Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy Seher Gurdil Yilmaz 1 , Sevban Arslan 2 , Sevban Arslan 2 * al., 2012; Hua Song et al., 2013). The present study was planned to investigate the effect of progressive relaxation exercises on anxiety and comfort status of breast cancer patients who were receiving chemotherapy. Materials and Methods Study design The study had a control-group, pre-test/post-test, quasi-experimental design. The study population included patients who were diagnosed with breast cancer in the Adult Ambulatory Chemotherapy Unit of a university hospital, underwent mastectomy, and were receiving AC chemotherapy protocol. Data collection The data were collected using “Personal Details Form” prepared by the researcher; the anxiety levels of the patients were evaluated by the “State-Trait Anxiety Inventory,” which was designed by Spielberger et al., and adapted to Turkish and studied for validation and reliability by Oner and Le Compte, and “General Comfort Questionnaire” developed by Kolcaba in 1992. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews by the