Massagetherapie reduziert Schmerzen, Erschöpfung und Stress bei Mammakarzinompatientinnen

Abstract

PURPOSE: One woman in every eight or ten women in Germany will suffer from breast cancer at some stage in her life. Despite enhanced treatment options, women with breast cancer suffer stress during and after medical therapy. Between 20 and 56 % of women with breast cancer suffer from psychosocial disturbances. Alternative medicine, for example massage therapy, is used by up to 80 % of patients with breast cancer as a supportive treatment and to improve their quality of life. Apart from the effect of reducing pain, massage therapy may have a psychosocial impact. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Women diagnosed with primary breast cancer were randomized into an intervention group and a control group. Over a five week period, the intervention group received bi-weekly 30-minute massages of the back and head/neck areas. The control group received no treatment other than routine healthcare. To evaluate the efficacy of the message treatment, the following validated questionnaires were administered at baseline (T1), at the end of the intervention (T2), and at follow-up 6 weeks after the end of the intervention (T3): the SF-8™, the Giessen Complaints Inventory (GBB), and the Berlin Mood Questionnaire (BSF). RESULTS: Eighty-six eligible women (mean age: 59 years) were enrolled in the study. A significantly higher reduction of pain was found in the intervention group compared to the control group at T2 (p < 0.05) and at T3 (p < 0.05). A decrease in fatigue was observed in the intervention group at T2 and in both groups at T3. The difference between both groups was significant at follow-up. In both groups we found a decrease in stress. CONCLUSION: Classic massage seems to be an effective adjuvant treatment to reduce pain, fatigue and stress in women with early stage breast cancer.