Different Types of Massage Therapy to Reduce Anxiety during Chemotherapy Infusion in Patients with Cancer

Inclusion Criteria

• Participant must be 18 years of age or older at time of consent
• The study is open to all participants regardless of gender, race, or ethnicity
• Participants should have had at least 1 cycle of the chemotherapy regimen at the time of recruitment
• Participant must have a baseline anxiety score > 3 on the Visual Analog scale (VAS)
• Scheduled for at least six more infusion sessions
• Participant has had complete blood count (CBC) drawn within 30 days of baseline assessment

Exclusion Criteria

• Platelet count less than 20,000 k/uL. Patients taking anticoagulants are not excluded, as the protocol for massage in infusion ensures that deep pressure massage is never performed, and patient’s massage will not exceed a 3 on the Walton scale
• Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) less than 0.5 k/uL
• Patient has had a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) within the past 3 months
• Patient has received radiation therapy to any of the targeted areas within the past 90 days
• Patients using a cold therapy device must be willing to discontinue use of any device for the entire duration of the study (5 infusion sessions). Patients must agree not to resume use of cold therapy devices immediately after massage sessions or at any other time during the study period
• Had surgery on their foot, leg, head, neck, shoulder, hands, or arms within the past 3 months, or has incomplete healing
• Participant has rashes, open wounds, or any skin conditions that could be exacerbated by massage
• Known allergies to jojoba oil or any other substances that may be used during the massage therapy sessions
• Ongoing uncontrolled active psychiatric condition that would interfere in the conduct of the study (e.g., mood disorders, anxiety, psychosis disorders, or substance use) with additional confirmation provided by the principal investigator (PI), as needed
• In order to minimize undue influence and coercion, the study team will not personally solicit an employee for participation: An employee who is under the direct/indirect supervision of the principal investigator (PI)/a co-investigator/the study manager and a direct study team member
• Pregnancy
• Any participants with bone metastasis