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