Effect of Massage Therapy on Minimizing Fatigue among Elderly Women with Breast Cancer (original) (raw)

Background: Fatigue is a commonly reported debilitating symptom affecting more than 70% of elderly cancer patients, and experienced by up to 90% of breast cancer patients during active treatment. Massage therapy is considered a safe complementary approach that has a great rate of acceptance; therefore, it can be used in elderly women as a supportive care for fatigue management. Aim: Determine the effect of massage therapy on minimizing fatigue among elderly women with breast cancer. Research design: A quasi experimental research design was utilized. Method: The study includes a purposive sample of 72 elderly breast cancer women (≥60 years) attending at radiation unit of the oncology and nuclear medicine department. The study sample were divided into two groups; the study group (n=32) who received twelve Swedish massage sessions, and the control group (n=35) who received only routine care. The revised Piper Fatigue Scale was completed before and after massage intervention to evaluate the level of fatigue. Results: After 6 weeks of massage therapy, fatigue scores improved significantly in the study group (P>0.001) compared to the control group. While within group comparison, there was a significant improvement in post intervention fatigue score compared to pre intervention fatigue scores for study groups at the two time points (at week 3 and at week 6) (P>0.001), while it did not differ in the control group. Conclusion: Massage therapy is an effective approach in reducing fatigue in elderly women with breast cancer. Recommendation: Massage therapy as a noninvasive, cost effective, and easy to applied approach should be involved in routine care for elderly breast cancer patients as a health care services.