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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.
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.