As an oncology massage therapist I have noticed over the past 7 years that patients do not always convey to their healthcare staff the complementary care that they receive outside of their treatment centers.

Herbal remedies taken by patients are usually picked up on patient intake forms, along with their other medications. Conversation about acupuncture or their chiropractic routine may also be discussed to find out what is safe and appropriate.

Routinely nurses will caution patients concerning good techniques of disinfecting tools for manicures and pedicures when they visit their salons. Often I have heard nurses inform patients to avoid cutting cuticles to avoid infections, especially for breast cancer patient when there has been node dissection.

Integrative Cancer Centers are offering massage because of positive massage research and the enthusiastic responses from the patients that have benefited from massage during treatment. Doctors are learning from their patients how safe and gentle massage helps with fatigue, anxiety, decreases pain, decreases muscle tension and gives patients something comforting to look forward to.

It becomes a full circle of quality care when patients educate their physicians, who then feel more comfortable about referring future patients to trained Oncology Massage Therapists.

I believe these topics are not brought up because:

• Usually, patients don’t believe that a regular massage can cause them any discomfort during treatment or even after treatment. Innocently they don’t ask about precautions for massage from their healthcare team.

• Massage beliefs/history is not a routine question that nurses and physician ask and patients believe that it’s not necessary to inform their physicians. Possibly the patient knows their physician is skeptical and they choose not to bring up the topic of massage

• A day at the spa sounds wonderful during treatment, what could be the harm, why should I ask?


• Physicians have told patients both “no massage,” or “sure, anything that makes you feel good.” With the first response the patient looses out on the benefits of safe massage and with the second comment possible harm to the patient due to a massage that is too strenuous or fatiguing.

When it comes to massage, patients need to receive the information that massage is beneficial when the Massage Therapist has received training in safe practices for oncology massage.

Patients notice me working in the treatment center and wondered:

These comments are always positive opportunities to educate patients concerning the benefits of safe massage by a Massage Therapist trained in safe practices for oncology massage.

Over the past 10 years research on the safe benefits of massage during treatment for cancer has shown that safe massage helps with the side effects of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation treatment.

The research is trickling down to oncologists and oncology nurses due to research articles published in medical journals. I’ve also seen more and more publications from drug companies offer patient massage information for some of the side effects that their drug may cause.

Integrative Cancer Centers are offering massage because of the research and the positive responses from patient s that benefited from massage during treatment.

For the patient that believes in massage, educating them to what their new normal massage experience will be is very rewarding. I enjoy helping explain why patients can’t have deep tissue, hot stones, exfoliation treatments and herbal wraps during treatment.

These conversations usually evolve after one of these comments when I first meet a new patient, introduce myself and offer them a comforting massage during treatment:

• “I was told that I can’t have massage, it will spread the cancer.” This statement might even have come from a Massage Therapist that was trained years ago.

• “My brother’s Massage Therapist wanted to help him and ending up putting his foot in a cast with deep tissue work to his ankle while he was on chemotherapy.”

• “I got lymphedema from a massage,”

• “I can’t have massage to my neck, I’m starting radiation treatment this week to my cervical spine.” I explained to her that I never do deep massage to patients at the center, especially since she is on Zometa. She then proceeds to tell me, “I have been getting deep massage to get the knots out of my neck since I started chemotherapy, no one told me not to have deep massage.”

• “I think I got lymphedema from going into a sweat lodge, I was feeling sick and wanted to get rid of the toxins.”

• “I’ve been going to a chiropractor and he has been adjusting my neck.” I passed this information onto our nurses as she is on Zometa. They agree with me that she should not be doing this.

• “I loved the Jacuzzi at the spa, my family treated me to a day at the spa,”

• “I had 5 nodes removed, but they weren’t positive, so I can have a regular massage?”

• “I had a prophylactic double mastectomy with 2 nodes removed from each side. I don’t have cancer, no one told me that I shouldn’t have deep massage anymore.”

A Massage Therapist with specific training can design a massage with adjustments:

• To length of massage time
• Depth of pressure
• Avoiding sites where surgery or ports are located
• Products that will irritate sensitive skin
• Spa treatments that might be too detoxifying
• Positional needs for each patient.

Also, understanding the concerns for lymphedema due to nodal dissection is part of the oncology massage therapists training. Patients benefit with safe and compassionate touch when healthcare providers properly inform their patients about the need to find a qualified massage therapist.

As massage is becoming more acceptable in the oncology setting, it is important for the patient to know what is safe during and after treatment. 

Doctors and Nurses need to understand the pros and cons of massage during cancer treatment, and be able to communicate the information comfortably with their patients.

Patients need to discuss with their physicians the complementary therapies they believe will be beneficial to their treatment.

A simple intake form would help to open up conversations between a patient and their physician. Both parties would benefit from teachable moments to ensure that complementary care treatments offered comfort and relief from symptoms.

This form was developed for CISN by, Antoinette Muirhead, LMT, CLM Instructor

http://www.acaringtouchforcancer.com