Smith, M.C., Kemp, J., Hemphill, L., & Vojir, C.P. (2002). Outcomes of therapeutic massage for hospitalized cancer patients. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 34, 257–262.

To examine the effects of therapeutic massage on pain, sleep quality, symptom distress, and anxiety in patients hospitalized for treatment of cancer

Patients who received massage had 15–20 minutes of light Swedish massage techniques of effleurage and petrissage three times during one week of hospitalization. Each session was given at least 24 hours apart. The control condition was 20 minutes of deliberate focused communication from a nurse. Discussions involved patient teaching, relaxation techniques, questions about cancer and treatment, life challenges, and stress reduction.

• The sample was 40 hospitalized patients with cancer.
• Mean patient age was 62 years; range was not provided.
• The sample was 95% male and 5% female.
• Various cancer diagnoses were included: lymph, lung, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, head and neck, leukemia, breast, and skin.
• The majority of patients were Caucasian, married or partnered, and not working.

• Single site
• Inpatient setting
• Colorado

Active treatment phase

A quasi-experimental design was used.

• Numeric Pain Rating Scale
• Verran and Snyder-Halpern Sleep Scale
• McCorkle Symptom Distress Scale
• Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory

• Analysis of variance showed changes in pain and symptom distress in the group receiving massage (p < 0.10), and in sleep in the control group (p < 0.10).
• There was no difference in anxiety.

Provision of therapeutic massage in hospitalized patients with cancer may have a positive effect on pain and symptom distress.

• The study had a small sample, with less than 100 participants.
• Because the study had no random assignment and no blinding, there is associated risk of bias.
• No information was provided on differences in use of pain medication or other interventions to control symptoms and relevant distress.
• The sample was biased, being mostly male and Caucasian.
• No information was provided about severity of illness.
• It is not clear whether the hospitalized patients were currently receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy during hospitalization.

This study did not provide any strong support for the use of therapeutic massage in hospitalized patients with cancer.