Summary of findings for the main comparison. Massage versus no massage for symptom relief in people with cancer.
| Massage versus no massage for symptom relief in people with cancer | ||||||
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Patient or population: people with cancer Settings: oncology unit, cancer centre, hospice Intervention: massage | ||||||
| Outcomes | Illustrative comparative risks* (95% CI) | Relative effect (95% CI) | No of participants (studies) |
Quality of the evidence (GRADE) |
Comments | |
| Assumed risk | Corresponding risk (95% CI) | |||||
| No massage | Massage | |||||
| Pain (PPI‐VAS) | The mean pain (PPI‐VAS) in the control group was 4.2 points | The mean pain (PPI‐VAS) in the intervention group was 1.6 lower (2.67 to 0.53 lower) |
Continuous data | 72 (1 study) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Very low1,2,3 | Lower score indicates less pain |
| Anxiety (STAI‐state) | The mean anxiety (STAI‐state) ranged across control groups from 30.0 to 37.7 points | The mean anxiety (STAI‐state) in the intervention groups was 5.36 lower (16.06 lower to 5.34 higher) |
Continuous data | 98 (3 studies) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Very low1,3,4 | Not statistically significant by random‐effects model |
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Anxiety (STAI‐state) subgroup 1: children vs. adults ‐ children |
The mean anxiety (STAI‐state) for children in the control group was 37.7 points | The mean anxiety (STAI‐state) for children in the intervention group was 14.70 lower (19.33 to 10.07 lower) |
Continuous data | 30 (1 study) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Very low1,2,3 | Lower score indicates less severity in anxiety |
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Anxiety (STAI‐state) subgroup 1: children vs. adults ‐ adults |
The mean anxiety (STAI‐state) for adults ranged across control groups from 30.0 to 30.3 points | The mean anxiety (STAI‐state) for adults in the intervention groups was 0.74 lower (5.99 lower to 4.51 higher) |
Continuous data | 68 (2 studies) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Very low3 | Not statistically significant |
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Anxiety (STAI‐state) subgroup 2: short‐term vs. medium‐term ‐ short‐term (≤ 4 weeks) |
The short‐term mean anxiety (STAI‐state) ranged across control groups from 30.3 to 37.7 points |
The short‐term mean anxiety (STAI‐state) in the intervention groups was 10.66 lower (14.72 to 6.6 lower) |
Continuous data | 64 (2 studies) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Very low1,3,4 | Lower score indicates less severity in anxiety |
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Anxiety (STAI‐state) subgroup 2: short‐term vs. medium‐term ‐ medium‐term (> 4 weeks to < 8 weeks) |
The medium‐term mean anxiety (STAI‐state) in the control group was 30.0 points | The medium‐term mean anxiety (STAI‐state) in the intervention group was 3.00 lower (9.69 lower to 3.69 higher) |
Continuous data | 34 (1 study) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Very low1,2,3 | Not statistically significant |
| * The assumed risk (e.g. the mean control group risk across studies) is provided. The corresponding risk (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group. CI: confidence interval; PPI‐VAS: Present Pain Intensity‐Visual Analogue Scale; STAI: State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory. | ||||||
| GRADE Working Group grades of evidence High quality: Further research is very unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect. Moderate quality: Further research is likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate. Low quality: Further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate. Very low quality: We are very uncertain about the estimate. | ||||||
1 Study with high risk of bias. 2 Only one trial, unknown heterogeneity. 3 Small study. 4 Only one or two trials, unknown publication bias.
All downgraded by three levels due to very serious imprecision.