Brain Tumors
Conditions
Keywords
massage therapy in patients with brain tumors
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is * to assess the feasibility and acceptability of massage therapyto examine the effects of massage therapy * to explore whether psychological outcomes are associated with changes in patient reported QoL.
Detailed description
As a part of this study, we will provide massage therapy to brain tumor patients. Our contribution here is expected to determine whether massage therapy is safe and helps to improve patient QoL. This contribution is significant because it is expected to provide pilot data on effect sizes so that we may design an adequately powered study to develop massage therapy programs and interventions for patients with brain tumors. In addition to benefiting brain tumor patients, the information from this study may be applied to improving the QoL of other cancer patients.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALMassage Therapy
The setting for massage intervention will take place at The Duke Center for Living (DCL). . The massage therapists at the DCL work closely with physicians to design appropriate interventions for patients who are receiving treatment at DUMC, including cancer patients. All DCL therapists have completed more than 600 hours of training, are nationally certified and hold a North Carolina license to practice massage. These types include Swedish, deep muscle, myofascial release, trigger point, acupressure, Bowen Technique, sports massage and chair massage.
Sponsors
Massage Therapy Foundation
Duke University
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Patients with histological confirmed, newly diagnosed, post surgical WHO grade III/IV malignant glioma (i.e., glioblastoma, anaplastic astrocytoma) being followed at the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center (PRT-BTC) at Duke University Medical Center (DUMC) will be considered potential participants for this study. * Additional eligibility criteria will be: 1. \> 18 years old 2. Karnofsky Performance Score of \> 70 at onset of study 3. estimated life expectancy of \> 3 months 4. approval from attending oncologist 5. the ability to speak, read and write English 6. live within a 60 mile radius of the DCL 7. be identified as stressed by Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score, \> 12.1 and 13.7 for men and women respectively, and 8) signed informed consent prior to initiation of study-related procedures.
Exclusion criteria
* N/A
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| To assess the feasibility and acceptability of massage therapy provided to primary brain tumor patients. This assessment will integrate data about patient eligibility rates, patient participation rates, patient adherence rates, and adverse events. | 6 months |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| To examine the effects of massage therapy on psychological outcomes related to stress, distress, anxiety, and depression in this population and to explore whether psychological outcomes are associated with changes in patient reported QoL. | 12 months |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed