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Articles of Interest

December 10, 2023

Media Articles

2022

The Importance of Touch
Geraldine Earle (OM4)
MASSAGE & MYOTHERAPY AUSTRALIA JOURNAL | ISSUE 1 | AUTUMN 2022

2021

Oncology Massage Goes Mainstream
Medical Republic
Thursday, 22/Jul/2021

What is Oncology Massage?
Bernie Withington (OM2, Porirua, NZ)
Massage New Zealand Magazine - Issue 2, 2021, p7

My Experience as an Oncology Massage Therapist
Tess O’Toole (OM4, Christchurch, NZ)
Massage New Zealand Magazine - Issue 2, 2021, p9

A Personal Journey to a Professional Career
Anna Barton (OM2, Dove House, Auckland, NZ)
Massage New Zealand Magazine - Issue 2, 2021, p11

Barriers to the Adoption of Oncology Massage
David Bailey (OML, Canberra, AUS)
Massage New Zealand Magazine - Issue 2, 2021, p25

A Service Evaluation On Providing Massage To Patients Undergoing Treatment For Cancer In A Hospital Setting
Vicki Scott (OM2, Dove House, Auckland, NZ)
Massage New Zealand Magazine - Issue 2, 2021, p27

2018

Supporting Tasmanians Living with Cancer
Hobart Observer
Friday, 15/Jun/2018

Ethics, Massage Therapy, & Cancer Spread
Tracey Walton
Thursday, 7/Jun/2018

2017 and before

Strengthening the Presence of Massage Therapy in Palliative Care
Ronna Moore
Massage & Myotherapy Australia - Journal of the Australian Association of Massage Therapists - Autumn 2017

How does Massage Therapy Make a Difference in Palliative Care
Rudi Paul
Journal of the Australian Association of Massage Therapists - Autumn 2011

A Day in the Life - Massage & Palliative Care
Anne Bate
Journal of Massage Australia - tba

Journal Articles

Adams, J., Sibbritt, D., Broom, A., Loxton, D., Pirotta, M., Humphreys, J., Lui, C.-W., 2011. A comparison of complementary and alternative medicine users and use across geographical areas: a national survey of 1,427 women. BMC Complement. Altern. Med. 11, 85. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-11-85

Armstrong, K., Lanni, T., Anderson, M.M., Patricolo, G.E., 2018. Integrative medicine and the oncology patient: options and benefits. Support. Care Cancer Off. J. Multinatl. Assoc. Support. Care Cancer 26, 2267–2273. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-017-4007-y

Billhult, A., Bergbom, I., Stener-Victorin, E., 2007. Massage Relieves Nausea in Women with Breast Cancer Who Are Undergoing Chemotherapy. J. Altern. Complement. Med. 13, 53–58. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2006.6049

Billhult, A., Lindholm, C., Gunnarsson, R., Stener-Victorin, E., 2009. The effect of massage on immune function and stress in women with breast cancer--a randomized controlled trial. Auton. Neurosci. Basic Clin. 150, 111–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autneu.2009.03.010

Boyd, C., Crawford, C., Paat, C.F., Price, A., Xenakis, L., Zhang, W., Evidence for Massage Therapy (EMT) Working Group, 2016. The Impact of Massage Therapy on Function in Pain Populations-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials: Part II, Cancer Pain Populations. Pain Med. Malden Mass 17, 1553–1568. https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnw100

Cassileth, B.R., Vickers, A.J., 2004. Massage therapy for symptom control: outcome study at a major cancer center. J. Pain Symptom Manage. 28, 244–249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2003.12.016

Eldridge, L., 2019. Causes of Insomnia in People With Cancer. Very Well Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/causes-of-cancer-related-insomnia-2248839

Ernst, E., 2009. Massage therapy for cancer palliation and supportive care: a systematic review of randomised clinical trials. Support. Care Cancer Off. J. Multinatl. Assoc. Support. Care Cancer 17, 333–337. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-008-0569-z

Falkensteiner, M., Mantovan, F., Müller, I., Them, C, 2008. The Use of Massage Therapy for Reducing Pain, Anxiety, and Depression in Oncological Palliative Care Patients: A Narrative Review of the Literature. ISRN Nurs. 2011; 2011: 929868, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3168862/.

Fourie, W. J., 2008. Considering wider myofascial involvement as a possible contributor to upper extremity dysfunction following treatment for primary breast cancer. Journal Bodywork & Movement Therapy Oct;12(4):349-55. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19083693

Gentile, D., Boselli, D., Yaguda, S., Greiner, R., & Bailey-Dorton, C. Pain Improvement After Healing Touch and Massage in Breast Cancer: an Observational Retrospective Study. Int J Ther Massage Bodywork. 2021 Mar 1;14(1):12-20. eCollection 2021 Mar. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33654502/

Gentile, D., Boselli, D., O’Neill, G., Yaguda, S., Bailey-Dorton, C., Eaton, T.A., 2018. Cancer Pain Relief After Healing Touch and Massage. J. Altern. Complement. Med. N. Y. N 24, 968–973. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2018.0192

Greenlee, H., DuPont-Reyes, M.J., Balneaves, L.G., Carlson, L.E., Cohen, M.R., Deng, G., Johnson, J.A., Mumber, M., Seely, D., Zick, S.M., Boyce, L.M., Tripathy, D., 2017. Clinical practice guidelines on the evidence-based use of integrative therapies during and after breast cancer treatment. CA. Cancer J. Clin. 67, 194–232. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21397

Harrington, J.E., Baker, S., & Hoffman, J. Effect of an integrated support programme on the concerns and wellbeing of women with breast cancer: A national service evaluation. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice Volume 18, Issue 1, February 2012, Pages 10-15. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1744388111000466

Hernandez-Reif, M., Field, T., Ironson, G., Beutler, J., Vera, Y., Hurley, J., Fletcher, M.A., Schanberg, S., Kuhn, C., Fraser, M., 2005. Natural Killer Cells and Lymphocytes Increase in Women with Breast Cancer following Massage Therapy. Int. J. Neurosci. 115, 495–510. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207450590523080

Hunter, D., Marinakis, C., Salisbury, R., Cray, A., Oates, R., 2016. Complementary therapy use in metropolitan and regional Australian radiotherapy centres; do patients report effective outcomes? Support. Care Cancer Off. J. Multinatl. Assoc. Support. Care Cancer 24, 1803–1811. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-015-2972-6

Johnson, J.R., Crespin, D.J., Griffin, K.H., Finch, M.D., Dusek, J.A., 2014. Effects of integrative medicine on pain and anxiety among oncology inpatients. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. Monogr. 2014, 330–337. https://doi.org/10.1093/jncimonographs/lgu030

Kapila, A. K., Herd, A., Knife, N., Chaplin, P., & Patel, A. A Prospective Cohort Study on the Impact of Reflexology in Patients With Breast Cancer Using the MYCaW Scale. Clin Breast Cancer. 2019 Apr;19(2):e319-e326. doi: 10.1016/j.clbc.2018.12.007. Epub 2018 Dec 19. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30691931/

Kinkead, B., Schettler, P.J., Larson, E.R., Carroll, D., Sharenko, M., Nettles, J., Edwards, S.A., Miller, A.H., Torres, M.A., Dunlop, B.W., Rakofsky, J.J., Rapaport, M.H., 2018. Massage therapy decreases cancer-related fatigue: Results from a randomized early phase trial. Cancer 124, 546–554. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.31064

Kutner, J.S., Smith, M.C., Corbin, L., Hemphill, L., Benton, K., Mellis, B.K., Beaty, B., Felton, S., Yamashita, T.E., Bryant, L.L., Fairclough, D.L., 2008. Massage therapy versus simple touch to improve pain and mood in patients with advanced cancer: a randomized trial. Ann. Intern. Med. 149, 369–379. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-149-6-200809160-00003. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18794556

Lee, S.-H., Kim, J.-Y., Yeo, S., Kim, S.-H., Lim, S., 2015. Meta-Analysis of Massage Therapy on Cancer Pain. Integr. Cancer Ther. 14, 297–304. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534735415572885

Listing, M., Reisshauer, A., Krohn, M., Voigt, B., Tjahono, G., Becker, J., Klapp, B. E., & Rauchfuss, M. Massage therapy reduces physical discomfort and improves mood disturbances in women with breast cancer. Psychooncology 2009 Dec;18(12):1290-9. doi: 10.1002/pon.1508. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19189275/

Lopez, G., Liu, W., Milbury, K., Spelman, A., Wei, Q., Bruera, E., Cohen, L., 2017. The effects of oncology massage on symptom self-report for cancer patients and their caregivers. Support. Care Cancer Off. J. Multinatl. Assoc. Support. Care Cancer 25, 3645–3650. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-017-3784-7

Mao, J.J., Wagner, K.E., Seluzicki, C.M., Hugo, A., Galindez, L.K., Sheaffer, H., Fox, K.R., 2017. Integrating Oncology Massage Into Chemoinfusion Suites: A Program Evaluation. J. Oncol. Pract. 13, e207–e216. https://doi.org/10.1200/JOP.2016.015081

Noto, Y., Kitajima, M., Kudo, M., Okudera, K., Hirota, K., 2010. Leg massage therapy promotes psychological relaxation and reinforces the first-line host defense in cancer patients. J. Anesth. 24, 827–831. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00540-010-1028-9

Oh, B., Butow, P., Mullan, B., Beale, P., Pavlakis, N., Rosenthal, D., Clarke, S., 2010. The use and perceived benefits resulting from the use of complementary and alternative medicine by cancer patients in Australia. Asia Pac. J. Clin. Oncol. 6, 342–349. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-7563.2010.01329.x

Ovayolu, O., Seviğ, U., Ovayolu, N., & Sevinç, A. The effect of aromatherapy and massage administered in different ways to women with breast cancer on their symptoms and quality of life. Int J Nurs Pract 2014 Aug;20(4):408-17. doi: 10.1111/ijn.12128. Epub 2013 Aug 5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25157942/

Post-White, J., Kinney, M.E., Savik, K., Gau, J.B., Wilcox, C., Lerner, I., 2003. Therapeutic Massage and Healing Touch Improve Symptoms in Cancer. Integr. Cancer Ther. 2, 332–344. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534735403259064

Sagar, S. M., T Dryden, T., & Wong, R. K. Massage therapy for cancer patients: a reciprocal relationship between body and mind. Current Oncology. 2007 Apr;14(2):45-56. doi: 10.3747/co.2007.105.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17576465/

Sey, A.K., Hunter, J., 2020. Finding the value in oncology massage: A mixed-method study of cancer services and survivors in Australia. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aimed.2020.01.003

Shin, E.-S., Seo, K.-H., Lee, S.-H., Jang, J.-E., Jung, Y.-M., Kim, M.-J., Yeon, J.-Y., 2016. Massage with or without aromatherapy for symptom relief in people with cancer. Cochrane Database Syst. Rev. CD009873. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD009873.pub3

Smith, C.A., Hunter, J., Delaney, G.P., Ussher, J.M., Templeman, K., Grant, S., Oyston, E., 2018. Integrative oncology and complementary medicine cancer services in Australia: findings from a national cross-sectional survey. BMC Complement. Altern. Med. 18, 289. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-018-2357-8

Wang, K., Qi, S., Lai, H., Zhu, X., Fu, G., 2018. Clinical massage therapy for patients with cancer-related fatigue protocol of a systematic review. Medicine (Baltimore) 97, e13440. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000013440

Wilkinson, S., Barnes, K., Storey, L., 2008. Massage for symptom relief in patients with cancer: systematic review. J. Adv. Nurs. 63, 430–439. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2008.04712.x

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Oncology Massage Therapy and Boundaries

February 1, 2024

Gentle touch massage therapy is a most profound way of communicating with frail people, writes Tania Shaw, Executive Manager of Oncology Massage Limited, a not-for-profit training organisation for therapists who want to work with people with cancer.

Evidence for Oncology Massage

January 18, 2024

Massage & Cancer Integrative Oncology in Australia 2016: Mapping Service Provision and Exploring Unmet Needs Smith, C., Hunter, J., Ussher, J. M., Delaney, G., Grant, S., Templeman, K., Parton, C., Kellett, A. (2017) Australian organisations are increasingly providing Integrative Oncology (IO) services, signalling the need for clearer national guidance and polices. Discrepancies continue between what cancer survivors are doing or seeking, and the IO services they can access. Survivorship and wellness clinics are in urgent need of development. Coordinated strategic planning between all providers and insurers is required if the long-term needs of cancer survivors are to be adequately and equitably met. Clinical practice guidelines on the evidence-based use of integrative therapies during and after breast cancer treatment Greenlee H 1,2, DuPont-Reyes MJ 3, Balneaves LG 4, Carlson LE 5, Cohen MR 6,7, Deng G 8, Johnson JA 9, Mumber M 10, Seely D 11,12, Zick SM 13,14, Boyce LM 15, Tripathy D 16. CA Cancer J Clin. 2017 May 6;67(3):194-232. doi: 10.3322/caac.21397. Epub 2017 Apr 24 Patients with breast cancer commonly use complementary and integrative therapies as supportive care during cancer treatment and to manage treatment-related side effects. However, evidence supporting the use of such therapies in the oncology setting is limited. This report provides updated clinical practice guidelines from the Society for Integrative Oncology on the use of integrative therapies for specific clinical indications during and after breast cancer treatment, including anxiety/stress, depression/mood disorders, fatigue, quality of life/physical functioning, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, lymphedema, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, pain, and sleep disturbance. Clinical practice guidelines are based on a systematic literature review from 1990 through 2015. Music therapy, meditation, stress management, and yoga are recommended for anxiety/stress reduction. Meditation, relaxation, yoga, massage, and music therapy are recommended for depression/mood disorders. Meditation and yoga are recommended to improve quality of life. Acupressure and acupuncture are recommended for reducing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Acetyl-L-carnitine is not recommended to prevent chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy due to a possibility of harm. No strong evidence supports the use of ingested dietary supplements to manage breast cancer treatment-related side effects. In summary, there is a growing body of evidence supporting the use of integrative therapies, especially mind-body therapies, as effective supportive care strategies during breast cancer treatment. Many integrative practices, however, remain understudied, with insufficient evidence to be definitively recommended or avoided. The effect of massage on immune function and stress in women with breast cancer--a randomized controlled trial Billhult A 1, Lindholm C , Gunnarsson R , Stener-Victorin E . Auton Neurosci. 2009 Oct 5;150(1-2):111-5. doi: 10.1016/j.autneu.2009.03.010. Epub 2009 Apr 18. A single full-body light pressure effleurage massage has a short-term effect on NK cell activity, systolic blood pressure and heart rate in patients with breast cancer. However, the long-term clinical importance of these findings needs to be further investigated. Natural killer cells and lymphocytes increase in women with breast cancer following massage therapy Hernandez-Reif M , Field T , Ironson G , Beutler J , Vera Y , Hurley J , Fletcher MA , Schanberg S , Kuhn C , Fraser M . Int J Neurosci. 2005 Apr;115(4):495-510. Women diagnosed with breast cancer received massage therapy or practiced progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) for 30-min sessions 3 times a week for 5 weeks or received standard treatment. The massage therapy and relaxation groups reported less depressed mood, anxiety, and pain immediately after their first and last sessions. By the end of the study, however, only the massage therapy group reported being less depressed and less angry and having more vigor. Dopamine levels, Natural Killer cells, and lymphocytes also increased from the first to the last day of the study for the massage therapy group. These findings highlight the benefit of these complementary therapies, most particularly massage therapy, for women with breast cancer.