Evidence map›Paper›PMID 19148685›Full record

SynthesisSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2009

Massage therapy for cancer palliation and supportive care: a systematic review of randomised clinical trials.

E Ernst

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 37 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
37citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
41.0field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

37 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 149 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Massage for Pain: An Evidence Map.Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) · 2019
    Pooled it
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  6. Trial
  7. Massage therapy for patients with metastatic cancer: a pilot randomized controlled trial.Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) · 2013
    Trial
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  10. Review
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  13. Article
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  16. Review
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  19. The Effectiveness of Aromatherapy for Depressive Symptoms: A Systematic Review.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2017
    Review
  20. Integrative oncology in Indian subcontinent: an overview.Journal of clinical and diagnostic research : JCDR · 2015
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

1 author at 1 institution in 1 country.

E ErnstComplementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, 25 Victoria Park Road, Exeter EX2 4NT, UK. Edzard.Ernst@pms.ac.uk
Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMassage is a popular adjunct to cancer palliation. This systematic review is aimed at critically evaluating all available randomised clinical trials of massage in cancer palliation. MATERIALS AND

methodsSix databases were searched to identify all trials of classical massage for cancer patients. Studies of other types of massage, e.g. reflexology, aromatherapy, were excluded. Fourteen trials met all inclusion criteria. DISCUSSION: Collectively, they suggest that massage can alleviate a wide range of symptoms: pain, nausea, anxiety, depression, anger, stress and fatigue. However, the methodological quality of the included studies was poor, a fact that prevents definitive conclusions.

conclusionThe evidence is, therefore, encouraging but not compelling. The subject seems to warrant further investigations which avoid the limitations of previous studies.

Indexed as

MassageHumansNeoplasmsPalliative CareRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicResearch Design

Identifiers

PMID19148685
OpenAlexW2081769259

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.