Massage therapy for symptom control: Outcome study at a major cancer center Journal Article
| Authors: | Cassileth, B. R.; Vickers, A. J. |
| Article Title: | Massage therapy for symptom control: Outcome study at a major cancer center |
| Abstract: | Massage is increasingly applied to relieve symptoms in patients with cancer. This practice is supported by evidence from small randomized trials. No study has examined massage therapy outcome in a large group of patients. At Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, patients report symptom severity pre- and post-massage therapy using 0-10 rating scales of pain, fatigue, stress/anxiety, nausea, depression and "other." Changes in symptom scores and the modifying effects of patient status (in- or outpatient) and type of massage were analyzed. Over a three-year period, 1,290 patients were treated. Symptom scores were reduced by approximately 50%, even for patients reporting high baseline scores. Outpatients improved about 10% more than inpatients. Benefits persisted, with outpatients experiencing no return toward baseline scores throughout the duration of 48-hour follow-up. These data indicate that massage therapy is associated with substantive improvement in cancer patients' symptom scores. © 2004 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. |
| Keywords: | treatment outcome; major clinical study; fatigue; follow up; follow-up studies; neoplasms; pain; nausea; cancer pain; depression; hospital patient; outcomes research; outpatient; stress; anxiety; massage; pain assessment; clinical trials; cancer; humans; human; article |
| Journal Title: | Journal of Pain and Symptom Management |
| Volume: | 28 |
| Issue: | 3 |
| ISSN: | 0885-3924 |
| Publisher: | Elsevier Inc. |
| Date Published: | 2004-09-01 |
| Start Page: | 244 |
| End Page: | 249 |
| Language: | English |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2003.12.016 |
| PROVIDER: | scopus |
| PUBMED: | 15336336 |
| DOI/URL: | |
| Notes: | J. Pain Symptom Manage. -- Cited By (since 1996):146 -- Export Date: 16 June 2014 -- CODEN: JPSME -- Source: Scopus |
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