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Women who are receiving chemotherapy while in the late stages of breast cancer experience drops in depression and anxiety and improvements in spirituality and emotional quality of life through reflexology, found researchers at Michigan State University.
In a pilot study, researchers tested three complementary therapies -- reflexology, guided imagery and reminiscence therapy -- and found reflexology to be the most effective.
Reflexology is a specialized foot massage therapy and reminiscence therapy is a method in which women recall times in their lives when they've met and overcome challenges.
Less invasive urged.
Doctors should replace traditional, invasive procedures for diagnosing breast cancer with less-invasive ones to keep women out of operating rooms and reduce health care costs, said an international panel of breast cancer experts convened at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.
The experts called for expanded use of minimally invasive needle breast biopsies and sentinel node biopsies, saying open surgical biopsies should almost never be done, although experts estimate nearly one-third of the 1.7 million breast biopsies performed in the United States are done this way.
Back to Top | HomeAs National Breast Cancer Awareness Month began this week, MSU researchers announced they're examining a therapy to complement chemotherapy that might help women cope better in the advanced stages of the disease.
The therapy, reflexology, is a specialized technique. It works under the assumption that there are reflexes in the feet and hands that, when stimulated, can affect every organ and part of the body, said Barbara Brower, a certified reflexologist and the lead reflexologist of the study. The therapy dates back to the Egyptian era and has recently been integrated with medical treatment, she said.
The researchers received a $3 million grant from the National Cancer Institute for the study, said Gwen Wyatt, who is a professor in the College of Nursing.
Most research has focused on women in earlier stages of breast cancer, which is more curable, Wyatt said. But women in the later stages are much more vulnerable to becoming depressed from chemotherapy, she said.
"All women with breast cancer have physical and emotional symptoms," Wyatt said. "The more advanced, the more acute their symptoms - especially as they are going through chemotherapy."
In a pilot study, reflexology was shown to help women in later stages of breast cancer feel better about going to chemotherapy sessions, Brower said.
"It helps the body feel nurtured and supported when they need a particular therapy and it really keeps them from being so uncomfortable," Brower said.
Starting in January, the researchers from the College of Nursing will study 300 women in the advanced stages of breast cancer by putting them into three groups. The first will receive a proper reflexology treatment, while the second will receive a gentler foot massage that is similar to reflexology. The third group will receive no treatment, Wyatt said.
Women must be in the later stages of the disease and at least 21 years old to be eligible for the study, said Alla Sikorskii, an assistant professor in the College of Nursing. Once they give their consent to participate in the study, the women will be randomly assigned to one of the above three groups.
Positive results from this study will allow reflexology to become more acknowledged in the medical world, Wyatt said.
"We are hoping to see an improvement in the quality of life in the women in the reflexology group," Wyatt said.
The study could show physicians that alternative therapies can work well with medications and other medical procedures. The combination of chemotherapy and reflexology will hopefully be an example of this, Brower said.
"We want to see them getting through their treatment a lot easier," Brower said. "Recovery will hopefully be dramatically improved."
Back to Top | HomeReflexology treatments are provided in the comfort of your own home or office.
Available in Edmonton Alberta Canada and immediate surrounding areas.
Appointment times are flexible to meet your schedule.