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Is Reflexology as Effective as Aromatherapy Massage for Symptom Relief in an Outpatient Oncology Population?


N/A
18 Years
N/A
Open (Enrolling)
Both
Pain, Psychosocial Effects of Cancer and Its Treatment, Unspecified Adult Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific

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Trial Information

Is Reflexology as Effective as Aromatherapy Massage for Symptom Relief in an Outpatient Oncology Population?


OBJECTIVES:

Primary

- To determine whether reflexology is as effective as aromatherapy massage for
alleviation of self-selected symptoms in patients with cancer in an outpatient setting.

Secondary

- To determine the difference between the two therapies with respect to Visual Analogue
Scale (VAS) relaxation scores before and after each treatment.

OUTLINE: Patients are stratified according to gender (male vs female), treatment
(chemotherapy vs other) and their first concern choice (pain vs other). Patients are
randomized to 1 of 2 intervention arms.

- Arm I (Reflexology): Patients undergo 45-60 minutes of reflexology for 4 sessions.

- Arm II (Aromatherapy massage): Patients undergo 45-60 minutes of of aromatherapy
massage for 4 sessions.

Patients complete questionnaires (Measure Yourself Concerns and Well-being [MYCAW]
questionnaire and Visual Analogue Scale [VAS]) at baseline, before and after each session,
and after completion of all four sessions.

Inclusion Criteria


DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Any patient receiving treatment for cancer at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
Hospital

- Must be attending the hospital as an outpatient

- Planning to access complementary therapy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- No excessive pain in both hands and both feet

- Not experiencing a combination of conditions affecting both hands and both feet which
would prevent reflexology of either hands or feet from taking place, including any of
the following:

- Deep vein thrombosis

- Lymphedema

- Infected or broken skin

- Recent scars or injuries

- Phlebitis

- Areas currently receiving radiotherapy (or received radiotherapy in the past 2
weeks)

- Able and willing to attend the hospital for four 1-hour sessions

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- See Disease Characteristics

- At least 2 months since prior and no other concurrent massage therapy or reflexology
at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust Hospital or from another practitioner

- Not planning to undergo massage therapy or reflexology while also taking part in this
study

- At least 2 months since prior and no other concurrent massage therapy at the Royal
Marsden NHS Foundation Trust Hospital

Type of Study:

Interventional

Study Design:

Allocation: Randomized, Primary Purpose: Supportive Care

Outcome Measure:

Difference of 1 point of concern scores in Measure Yourself Concerns and Well-being (MYCAW) questionnaire from baseline to second evaluation (after completion of all four sessions of therapy)

Safety Issue:

No

Principal Investigator

Clare Shaw, MD

Investigator Role:

Principal Investigator

Investigator Affiliation:

Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

Authority:

Unspecified

Study ID:

CDR0000686459

NCT ID:

NCT01217424

Start Date:

October 2010

Completion Date:

Related Keywords:

  • Pain
  • Psychosocial Effects of Cancer and Its Treatment
  • Unspecified Adult Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific
  • psychosocial effects of cancer and its treatment
  • pain
  • unspecified adult solid tumor, protocol specific

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