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. 2016 Jun 3;2016(6):CD009873. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009873.pub3

Hernandez‐Reif 2004.

Methods Study design: RCT
Country: USA
Total: 34 randomised (massage group n = 18, no‐massage group n = 16)
Participants Population: women diagnosed with Stage 1 or 2 breast cancer within the past 3 years who were at least 3 months post‐surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or a combination of these
Setting: not described
Mean age: 53 years
Interventions Intervention: 30‐minute massages 3 times per week for 5 weeks
Comparison: standard medical care alone. At the 5‐week study period, the women in the control group were offered massage therapy
Country of training: not described
Years in practice: not described
Outcomes Outcome measures at before and after sessions (immediate/short‐term effects ‐ STAI, POMS) and on the first/last day of measurements (longer‐term effects ‐ SCL‐90‐R, LEQ, urinary biochemistry, immunological measures):

  • State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)

  • Profile of Mood States (POMS)

    • Depression

    • Anger

    • Vigour

  • Symptom Checklist‐90‐R (SCL‐90‐R)

    • Depression

    • Anxiety

    • Hostility

  • Life Events Questionnaire (LEQ)

  • Biochemical measures

    • Creatinine (mg/mL)

    • Cortisol (ng/mg)

    • Noradrenaline (norepinephrine) (ng/mg)

    • Adrenaline (epinephrine) (ng/mg)

    • Dopamine (ng/mg)

    • Serotonin (ng/mg)

  • Immunological measures

    • NK cell numbers

    • NKCC

    • Lymphocytes
Notes  
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Low risk Quote: "randomly assigned using a flip of a coin at times of screening"
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Unclear risk Not reported
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) 
 All outcomes Unclear risk Quote: "of the 34 women comprising the final sample, 27 women provided immune measure data"
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) 
 All outcomes Unclear risk 7 women did not have their blood drawn; reasons provided
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Unclear risk Insufficient information provided
Size High risk n = 34
Other bias High risk Imbalance found in the baseline measurement of anxiety (STAI) between the massage therapy and control group; however, no significant between‐group differences in participant demographic data