Cancer/Oncology Massage

Oncology Massage is a special type of bodywork developed specifically for cancer patients. People with cancer have unique needs and specific contraindications based on their individual diagnosis and treatment plan that must be addressed to ensure massage therapy is beneficial to their health. I strongly advocate fostering a collaboration with my patient’s existing health care network, and ask for the attending physician’s consent prior to treatment. This way I can best focus my time and attention on creating a gentle, nurturing environment to relax without worries during our session.

General Benefits

• deep relaxation
• reduced stress
• improved sleep
• eased constipation
• increased alertness and mental clarity
• reduced anxiety
• less nausea
• reduced pain

Following Surgery

• reduced anxiety in advance of surgery
• easier recovery from anesthesia
• reduced post-surgical pain
• improved mobility and appearance of surgical scars
• reduced swelling
• improved range of motion
• easier adaptation to implants and expanders

Following Radiation or Chemotherapy

• reduced anxiety in advance of and during treatment
• reduced post-treatment fatigue
• improved appetite
• improved peripheral neuropathy

Emotional Benefits

• decreased anxiety
• decreased depression
• increased feelings of well-being
• being pleasantly distracted
• improved body self-image
• restored hope
• satisfaction in participating actively in a part of the healing process

This modality is particularly close to my heart, as I provided it for my mother throughout her 3 years battle with cancer. Unfortunately, by the time she was diagnosed with appendix cancer or appendiceal cancer, the disease had already progressed to Stage 4. Her prognosis was not good at all. According to Cancer.net, “If the tumor is larger than 3 centimeters, with or without spreading to other parts of the body, the 5-year survival rate is about 78%. If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, the 5-year survival rate is 32%. Due to the rare nature of other types of appendix cancer, specific statistics are not available.”

Due to the extremely rare and aggressive type of cancer she had developed, the doctors recommended that she quickly begin aggressive treatment. The first step was the removal of 2 huge tumors in her stomach. One was the size of a watermelon, the other the size of a softball, giving her the appearance of being 6-8 months pregnant before surgery. We were all shocked to see how skinny she truly was without the growths monopolizing space in her guts, impeding the function of all surrounding organs. The relief we felt when she survived this brutal 12 hour-long surgery was quickly replaced with the realization that this was just the tip of the iceberg. She had a long and painful journey ahead of her before she could finally rest in peace.

Dozens of other small tumors attached to her perennial wall, along with her cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. Next, she went in for an outpatient surgery to receive a port implant just below her clavicle to receive her upcoming chemotherapy treatments. After she recovered she started chemotherapy treatments for 4 rounds. Every two weeks, for about 8 weeks in total. She had to go in for regular Pet scans to see if the cancer had come back, and to our dismay, they found something in her lungs which they were unsure of, so they just left there to avoid unnecessary trauma. Then she was scheduled for HIPIC treatment. The next step was HIPEC treatment. Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a highly concentrated, heated chemotherapy treatment that is delivered directly to the abdomen during surgery. Unlike systemic chemotherapy delivery, which circulates throughout the body, HIPEC delivers chemotherapy directly to cancer cells in the abdomen. This allows for higher doses of chemotherapy treatment. Heating the solution may also improve the absorption of chemotherapy drugs by tumors and destroy microscopic cancer cells that remain in the abdomen after surgery.

These were all MAJOR surgeries which required months of recovery time in between. In the meantime we went for a second opinion at UCSF for a second opinion. They said there wasn’t really anything they could do for her, but agreed that HIPEC treatment would be the most aggressive treatment route. Fighting with the insurance company to get second and theird opinions, and they would only agree to pay for an initial examination at MD Anderson. MD Anderson required that my family pay to take the same tests which were already performed at the previous treatment center. That would be a minimum of $10,000 of tests. The same doctor claimed to have the “cure” for her diagnosis, which had just finished clinical trials, but had not been released to the public yet, so unfortunately her hands were tied. More trouble & psychological pain.

Pet scans revealed that the cancer had come back in her vagina, and she had to undergo radiation. That was 25 days in a row M-F for 5 weeks.In her third year she went in for a second round of HIPIC treatment, from which she never really fully recovered. She couldn’t gain back weight, and slowly we watched in horror as this beautiful vuluptuos woman we had all known and loved melted away to a skeleton growing weaker and sicker by the day.

Before long she was wheelchair bound, and eventually completely unable to walk. She went back into the hospital for 2 weeks with extreme trouble breathing. They did an exploratory surgery to see what was wrong, and they found there was cancer everywhere. At that point they assigned us a hospice nurse and sent her home to die. Now she had gastrointestinal injections PLAVIX anti-clotting injection (post surgery) to look forward to every night. She survived for almost 7 weeks after coming home despite their prognosis of only a few days.

My mother’s story is a great example of how painful a cancer prognosis can be both physically and psychologically for the patient and family. This is an ugly disease that can only be effectively treated with kindness, compassion, and expertise. The last few years I spent providing hands on healing were some of the most fulfilling and rewarding moments of my life. The power of oncology massage therapy can not be ignored. If you or a loved one are suffering from cancer, reach out for help now and begin the healing process.

Patients and their caregivers report many and varied changes after massage. A therapist trained in oncology massage can provide a variety of positive effects from relaxation to scar tissue mobilization to pain reduction, but the anecdotal evidence suggests that there are many benefits beyond even these that are enjoyed by people at all stages of the cancer journey.

-Society For Oncology Massage

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