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Supportive Care in Cancer

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01-03-2020 | Breast Cancer | Original Article

Symptom response analysis of a randomized controlled trial of reflexology for symptom management among women with advanced breast cancer

Authors: Alla Sikorskii, Pratim Guha Niyogi, David Victorson, Deimante Tamkus, Gwen Wyatt

Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer | Issue 3/2020

Abstract

Purpose

To examine symptom responses resulting from a home-based reflexology intervention delivered by a friend/family caregivers to women with advanced breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy, targeted, and/or hormonal therapy.

Methods

Patient-caregiver dyads (N = 256) were randomized to 4 weekly reflexology sessions or attention control. Caregivers in the intervention group were trained by a reflexology practitioner in a 30-min protocol. During the 4 weeks, both groups completed telephone symptom assessments using the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory. Those who completed at least one weekly call were included in this secondary analysis (N = 209). Each symptom was categorized as mild, moderate, or severe using established interference-based cut-points. Symptom response meant an improvement by at least one category or remaining mild. Symptom responses were treated as multiple events within patients and analyzed using generalized estimating equations technique.

Results

Reflexology was more successful than attention control in producing responses for pain (OR = 1.84, 95% CI (1.05, 3.23), p = 0.03), with no significant differences for other symptoms. In the reflexology group, greater probability of response across all symptoms was associated with lower number of comorbid condition and lower depressive symptomatology at baseline. Compared to odds of responses on pain (chosen as a referent symptom), greater odds of symptom response were found for disturbed sleep and difficulty remembering with older aged participants.

Conclusions

Home-based caregiver-delivered reflexology was helpful in decreasing patient-reported pain. Age, comorbid conditions, and depression are potentially important tailoring factors for future research and can be used to identify patients who may benefit from reflexology.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01582971

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Title: Symptom response analysis of a randomized controlled trial of reflexology for symptom management among women with advanced breast cancer
Authors: Alla Sikorskii
Pratim Guha Niyogi
David Victorson
Deimante Tamkus
Gwen Wyatt
Publication date: 01-03-2020
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Keywords: Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer
Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer / Issue 3/2020
Print ISSN: 0941-4355
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-04959-y

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Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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