Breast cancer patients have improved immune functions following massage therapy

Results:

The immediate massage therapy effects included reduced anxiety, depressed mood, and anger. The longer-term massage effects included reduced depression and hostility, increased urinary dopamine, serotonin values, natural killer cell number and lymphocytes. Avoidance coping was associated with greater NK cell number and intrusive coping with lower dopamine levels.

 Hernandez-Reif, M., Ironson, G., Field, T., Katz, G., Diego, M., Weiss, S., Fletcher, M., Schanberg, S. & Kuhn, C. (2003). Breast cancer patients have improved immune functions following massage therapy. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 57, 45-52.

Methods:

Women diagnosed with Stage I or II breast cancer were randomly assigned post surgery to a massage therapy group (to receive 30-minute massages three times per week for 5 weeks) or a standard treatment control group. On the first and last day of the study, the women were assessed on 1) immediate effects measures of anxiety, depressed mood, and vigor, and 2) longer term effects on depression, anxiety and hostility, functioning, body image and avoidant versus intrusive coping style, in addition, to urinary catecholamines (norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine), and serotonin levels. A subset of 27 women (n= 15 massage) had blood drawn to assay immune measures.