Fellowes, D., Barnes, K., & Wilkinson, S. (2004). Aromatherapy and massage for symptom relief in patients with cancer. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD002287.

To evaluate the effectiveness of massage and aromatherapy for symptom relief in patients with cancer

The search used the following sources from 1966–2002: MEDLINE, CINAHL, British Nursing Index, EMBASE, AMED, PsycINFO, and CancerLit.

• A total of 1,322 references were initially retrieved.
• Two reviewers independently assessed trials for inclusion in the review, assessing study quality and extracted data.

Ten reports met the inclusion criteria; eight randomized controlled trials that included 357 patients were reviewed.

• The most consistently found effect of massage or aromatherapy massage was on anxiety.
• Four trials (207 patients total) detected a reduction in anxiety postintervention.
• There was no reported decrease in anxiety with the addition of aromatherapy.

While there is sufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of massage in decreasing anxiety in patients with cancer, there is insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of aromatherapy massage for patients with cancer. Further research is needed.