The goal of this clinical trial is to determine the feasibility of studying massage therapy in patients with gynecologic cancers while receiving infusion treatments. The central hypothesis is that it is feasible to implement a massage intervention study in an infusion center at an academic hospital, and measure pain and anxiety in patients with gynecological cancer. The main questions it aims to answer are: Can investigators evaluate feasibility to conduct a study from a design standpoint? Can investigators assess the use of randomization, blinding of assessors, potential to control the study with an attention group, and recruitment/retention processes? Can investigators successfully collect outcome measures of pain and anxiety, pre/post intervention? Researchers will investigate degree of resources needed, such as massage therapists, assessors, and timing of delivery intervention. Assess positive/negative effects on target population determining massage modality and anatomical location. Researchers will compare massage therapy to an attention control group, to see if massage therapy works to treat pain and anxiety in patients with cancer. Establish variability in outcome measures. Participants will: Be randomized and receive either massage therapy or attention control over the course of three consecutive infusion therapy treatments. Each infusion therapy treatment occurs every 2-4 weeks.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
24
Gynecologic patient receiving an infusion will receive massage therapy for 15-20 minutes. The patient will have a choice of a hand, foot, or posterior neck and shoulder Swedish massage.
Massage therapist sits with gynecologic patient receiving an infusion asking questions for no more than 15 minutes.
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky, United States
Recruitment feasibility
Number of participants enrolled within the recruitment period.
Time frame: 6 months
Retention
Number of participants completing the study.
Time frame: 6 months
Randomization
Number of participants randomized
Time frame: 6 months
Percentage of accessors successful blinded
Assessors will be answering yes or no to the questionnaire and percentage will be calculated.
Time frame: 6 months
Number of participants that completed 3 or more sessions
Adherence is defined by participant completing 3 or more sessions.
Time frame: 6 months
Change in Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS)
DVPRS ranges from 0-10. 0 being no pain and 10 being worst pain of patient's life.
Time frame: Pre and post infusion therapy treatment (Up to 9 weeks)
Change in State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)
The STAI-6 will be used to measure and collect a self-reported anxiety score from the study participant pre/post intervention. The questions asked are, "I feel calm; I am tense; I feel upset; I am relaxed; I feel content; I am worried." The answers are on a scale of 1-4, with 1=Almost never, 2=Somewhat, 3=Moderately, 4=Very much.
Time frame: Pre and post infusion therapy treatment (Up to 9 weeks)
Temporal Summation, Pain Threshold using von Frey Monofilaments
Using a 180 gram von Frey filament, threshold for pain will be used by performing temporal summation wind-up method. The wind-up method will be used to measure pain pre/post intervention, of each study participant, during all three intervention sessions. Each assessor will use the thenar eminence (thumb pad) of the participate, applying pressure straight down, until a "C" with the filament is formed. After the "C" is formed on the participant, the assessor will ask, on a scale of 0-10 (zero being no pain and 10 being the worst pain imaginable) what their perceived rate of pain intensity was. The assessor will then use a stopwatch on their phone to wait 30 seconds and then apply the same filament on the same thenar eminence 10 times in the same area, at a rate of 60hz or 1 per second (still making a "C"). The assessor will then ask, on a scale of 0-10, (zero being no pain and 10 being the worst pain imaginable) what their perceived rate of pain intensity.
Time frame: Pre and Post infusion therapy treatment (Up to 9 weeks)
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.