Cassileth, B.R., & Vickers, A.J. (2004). Massage therapy for symptom control: Outcome study at a major cancer center. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 28, 244–249.
 

DOI Link

Intervention Characteristics/Basic Study Process

  • Massage therapy (i.e., Swedish, light touch, foot); manipulation of soft tissue
  • Average time: 20 minutes for inpatients and 60 minutes for outpatients
  • Tactile stimulation is essential to development and survival.

Sample Characteristics

  • N = 1,290 patients
  • No demographics were provided.
  • KEY SAMPLE CHARACTERISTICS: Fatigue was a presenting symptom in 312 patients.

Setting

  • SETTING TYPE: Inpatient and outpatient settings
  • LOCATION: A large, specialized cancer center

Phase of Care and Clinical Applications

  • PHASE OF CARE: Active treatment, long-term follow-up

Study Design

  • Retrospective review of clinical data from first massage episode

Measurement Instruments/Methods

  • Numeric rating scale (0–10) of extent to which fatigue was experienced as bothersome (0 = not at all bothersome; 10 = extremely bothersome) on a 5\" x 8\" card
  • Other measures: Pain, nausea, anxiety

Results

  • Mean fatigue improved from 4.7–2.7, which is a 40.7% reduction.
  • When patients with a fatigue score of more than 4 were included, fatigue decreased from a mean of 6.6 (SD = 1.8) to a mean of 3.8 (SD = 2.6).
  • Effects were smaller and less persistent in inpatients.

Limitations

  • No control or randomization was included.
  • The sample was not described.
  • Fatigue change scores were reported for the total sample at baseline and post-treatment only; however, in a subgroup followed at 12-, 24-, and 48-hours post-massage, the effects of massage on symptom distress were sustained in outpatients. The effects of massage were smaller and less persistent for inpatients, but the researchers noted that inpatients tended to receive shorter massage treatments in less comfortable settings than did outpatients. The relationship between the length of massage treatment and the size and duration of effects is worthy of further study.   
  • Weak or cachectic patients may only tolerate foot massage.
  • A licensed massage therapist is needed; otherwise, the intervention is inexpensive.

Nursing Implications

Promising results warrant a controlled trial.