Massage Therapy in Treating the Symptoms of Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Cancer

NCT ID: NCT00253708

Last Updated: 2017-08-07

Study Results

Results available

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

39 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2004-12-01

Study Completion Date

2013-01-01

Brief Summary

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RATIONALE: Massage therapy may help relieve symptoms associated with cancer. It is not yet known which type of massage therapy is more effective in treating the symptoms of patients with cancer.

PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial is studying different types of massage therapy to compare how well they work in treating the symptoms of patients with locally advanced or metastatic cancer.

Detailed Description

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OBJECTIVES:

* Compare the safety and tolerated dose (i.e., duration, techniques, and degree of pressure) of professional massage therapy vs professional simple presence (no touch) massage therapy vs usual care followed by caregiver massage therapy vs usual care in patients with locally advanced or metastatic cancer.
* Correlate these therapies with pain, anxiety, depression, nausea, and shortness of breath in these patients.
* Correlate these therapies with patient quality of life and caregiver anxiety and depression.
* Determine the feasibility of teaching family caregivers how to provide massage therapy and the subsequent use of massage by the caregivers.
* Determine the effects of caregiver massage therapy on patients and caregivers.
* Determine the feasibility and acceptability among patients and massage therapists of a simple presence (no touch) massage therapy control group.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, controlled, pilot study. Patients are randomized to 1 of 3 treatment arms.

* Arm I (professional massage therapy): Hospitalized patients are offered massage therapy by a licensed massage therapist for 15-45 minutes once daily for the duration of their hospital stay. Outpatient oncology clinic patients are offered home-based massage therapy by a licensed massage therapist for 15-45 minutes once daily for 3 days.
* Arm II (usual care): Patients receive usual care for symptom management.
* Arm III (professional simple presence \[no touch\] massage therapy): Hospitalized patients are offered simple presence (no touch) massage therapy comprising a room visit by a licensed massage therapist who places his/her hands 12 inches over the patient without direct touch for 15-45 minutes. Treatment is offered once daily for the duration of the hospital stay. Outpatient oncology clinic patients are offered home-based simple presence (no touch) massage therapy by a licensed massage therapist for 15-45 minutes once daily for 3 days.

All patients are then randomized (a second time) to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

* Arm I (caregiver massage therapy): Previously hospitalized patients are offered home-based caregiver massage therapy for 1 month. Outpatient oncology clinic patients are offered home-based caregiver massage therapy for 3 weeks.
* Arm II (usual care): Patients receive usual care for symptom management. Hospitalized patients complete a questionnaire addressing symptoms, quality of life, satisfaction with symptom control, and time spent up or out of bed once daily on days 1-5, every 3 days while in the hospital, and then at 1 week, 2 weeks, and 1 month after discharge from the hospital. Outpatient oncology clinic patients complete a similar telephone questionnaire at baseline, 1 week, and then at 1 month.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Approximately 100 patients will be accrued for this study.

Conditions

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Cancer

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

The study was designed to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of massage for patients with cancer-related pain
Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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massage

Patients received 3 massage therapy visits from massage therapists in initial week with a duration of 15-45 minutes.NOTE: Intervention 'management of therapy complications' has not been included in any Arm/Group Descriptions.

Patients were intended to receive pain therapy, psychosocial assessment and care, and quality-of-life assessment

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

management of therapy complications

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

massage therapy

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

pain therapy

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

psychosocial assessment and care

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

quality-of-life assessment

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

no-touch control

Patients received 3 no-touch therapy visits from massage therapists who provided no-touch without healing intention.Patients were intended to receive pain therapy, psychosocial assessment and care, and quality-of-life assessment

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

management of therapy complications

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

massage therapy

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

pain therapy

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

psychosocial assessment and care

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

quality-of-life assessment

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Usual care

Patients did not receive visits from massage therapists. Patients were intended to receive pain therapy, psychosocial assessment and care, and quality-of-life assessment

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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management of therapy complications

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

massage therapy

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

pain therapy

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

psychosocial assessment and care

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

quality-of-life assessment

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Solid cancer with evidence of metastases
* Receiving treatment at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC)
* Must reside ≤ 25 miles from BIDMC

Exclusion Criteria

* Patient to sick to be interviewed
* Absence of severe symptoms
* Participating in another trial
* Language barrier
* MD does not provide permission
* Expired prior to consent process
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

120 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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National Cancer Institute (NCI)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Russell Phillips

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Russell S. Phillips, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Locations

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Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Toth M, Marcantonio ER, Davis RB, Walton T, Kahn JR, Phillips RS. Massage therapy for patients with metastatic cancer: a pilot randomized controlled trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2013 Jul;19(7):650-6. doi: 10.1089/acm.2012.0466. Epub 2013 Jan 31.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 23368724 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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CDR0000445117

Identifier Type: REGISTRY

Identifier Source: secondary_id

R21CA098487

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

2003P000299

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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