Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29044466›Full record

Trial reportCancer2018

Massage therapy decreases cancer-related fatigue: Results from a randomized early phase trial.

Becky Kinkead, Pamela J Schettler, Erika R Larson, Dedric Carroll, Margaret Sharenko, James Nettles, Sherry A Edwards, Andrew H Miller, Mylin A Torres, Boadie W Dunlop and 2 more

Registry-linked trialOpen access · bronzeAbstract readComparative StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Cancer, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05067777 (Massage for Prostate Cancer-Related Fatigue), which is not on this map. Cited by 39 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
39citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
3.5field-weighted citation impact, top 6% 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.

NCT05067777 phase2terminatednot on this mapstarted 2022, after this paper: background citation

Massage for Prostate Cancer-Related Fatigue (mPROSTATE)

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of UtahRan2022 to 2025Enrolled28ConditionsProstate CarcinomaArmsSwedish Massage Therapy (SMT), Light Touch (LT) Control, Waitlist Control (WLC)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

39 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 79 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Efficacy of different non-pharmacological therapies on cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer patients: a network meta-analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Management of Fatigue in Adult Survivors of Cancer: ASCO-Society for Integrative Oncology Guideline Update.Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2024
    Guideline
  3. Pooled it
  4. Trial
  5. The effect of hand massage on fatigue in women with cancer receiving brachytherapy: randomized clinical trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024
    Trial
  6. Trial
  7. The effect of massage therapy on fatigue after chemotherapy in gastrointestinal cancer patients.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2021
    Trial
  8. Massage Compared with Massage Plus Acupuncture for Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Reconstructive Surgery.Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) · 2020
    Trial
  9. Trial
  10. Trial
  11. Review
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Review
  18. Review
  19. Article
  20. 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

12 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Becky KinkeadDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.ORCID 0000-0003-0169-6989
Pamela J SchettlerDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
Erika R LarsonAtlanta School of Massage, Atlanta, Georgia.
Dedric CarrollAtlanta School of Massage, Atlanta, Georgia.
Margaret SharenkoAtlanta School of Massage, Atlanta, Georgia.
James NettlesDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
Sherry A EdwardsDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
Andrew H MillerDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
Mylin A TorresWinship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia.ORCID 0000-0003-3582-5216
Boadie W DunlopDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.ORCID 0000-0002-4653-0483
Jeffrey J RakofskyDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
Mark Hyman RapaportDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
Emory University · USGeorgia Christian University · US

Funding

Efficacy of swedish massage therapy on cancer-related fatigue in cancer survivorsR21AT007090 · NCCIH · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI RAPAPORT, MARK HYMAN · 2013 to 2014
$357k
NCCIH NIH HHS R21 AT007090
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a prevalent and debilitating symptom experienced by cancer survivors, yet treatment options for CRF are limited. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of weekly Swedish massage therapy (SMT) versus an active control condition (light touch [LT]) and waitlist control (WLC) on persistent CRF in breast cancer survivors.

methodsThis early phase, randomized, single-masked, 6-week investigation of SMT, LT, and WLC enrolled 66 female stage 0-III breast cancer survivors (age range, 32-72 years) who had received surgery plus radiation and/or chemotherapy/chemoprevention with CRF (Brief Fatigue Inventory > 25). The primary outcome was the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI), with the National Institutes of Health PROMIS Fatigue scale secondary.

resultsMean baseline MFI scores for 57 evaluable subjects were 62.95 for SMT, 55.00 for LT, and 60.41 for WLC. SMT resulted in a mean (standard deviation) 6-week reduction in MFI total scores of -16.50 (6.37) (n = 20) versus -8.06 (6.50) for LT (n = 20) and an increase of 5.88 (6.48) points for WLC (n = 17) (treatment-by-time P < .0001). The mean baseline PROMIS Fatigue scores were SMT, 22.25; LT, 22.05; and WLC, 23.24. The mean (standard deviation) reduction in PROMIS Fatigue scores was -5.49 (2.53) points for SMT versus -3.24 (2.57) points for LT and -0.06 (1.88) points for WLC (treatment-by-time P = .0008). Higher credibility, expectancy, and preference for SMT than for LT did not account for these results.

conclusionSMT produced clinically significant relief of CRF. This finding suggests that 6 weeks of a safe, widely accepted manual intervention causes a significant reduction in fatigue, a debilitating sequela for cancer survivors. Cancer 2018;124:546-54. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Indexed as

Cancer SurvivorsMassageAdultAgedBreast NeoplasmsFatigueFemaleHumansMiddle AgedPatient Outcome AssessmentTreatment Outcomebreast cancerfatiguemanual therapymassagequality of life

Identifiers

PMID29044466
PMCPMC5780237
OpenAlexW2766217806

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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.