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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Therapeutic Massage for Psychological Well-being in Geriatric Oncology
Published on: May 22, 2026
The experience of massage during chemotherapy treatment in breast cancer patients
Annika Billhult1, Elisabet Stener-Victorin, Ingegerd Bergbom
1Department of Physiotherapy, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden.
Abstract:
This study aimed to describe the experience of massage for breast cancer patients during chemotherapy treatment. Ten patients received massage at five occasions. They were interviewed and analysis was conducted using Giorgi's ideas of phenomenological research. The essential meaning of getting massage during chemotherapy was described as a retreat from the feeling of uneasiness toward chemotherapy. Results revealed five themes: the patients experienced distraction from the frightening experience, a turn from negative to positive, a sense of relaxation, a confirmation of caring, and finally they just felt good. In conclusion, the findings of this study show that massage offered a retreat from uneasy, unwanted, negative feelings connected with chemotherapy treatment. It is a treatment that can be added to the arsenal of treatment choices available to the oncological staff.
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