The effect of electric massage chair on chemotherapyinduced nausea and vomiting in cancer patients

Abstract

Background Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) are the most common and serious side effects of chemotherapy. Multiple antiemetic agents are widely used to reduce CINV, but they are not completely control the symptom and often cause undesirable side effects. There has been evidence that massage therapy helps cancer patients physically and emotionally, improving quality-of-life (QoL). This study was conducted to evaluate clinical role of electric massage chair to relieve CINV as an alternative therapy.

Methods We conducted a phase 2 randomized crossover trial on solid cancer patients who were scheduled to receive chemotherapy with moderate to high emetic risk(HEC/MEC). The participants were randomly assigned to two groups. Group A received standard care only while group B received additive massage therapy with electric massage chair in their 1st cycle of chemotherapy. The patients in each group were then crossed over in the next cycle. Electric massage chair was applied on the 1st day of chemotherapy, for at least 20 minutes. Rhodes Index of Nausea, Vomiting and Retching (INVR) scale and EORTC-QLQ-C30 questionnaire were self-reported by the participants.

Results A total of 59 patients completed the protocol and included for analysis. Forty-three (72.88%) patients received MEC, and 16 (27.12%) patients received HEC. The INVR score at 1st cycle of chemotherapy was 2.76 in group A and 3.63 in group B (p-value = 0.5367). The functional scale of EORTC-QLQ-C30 was improved after applying electric massage chair in both groups, regardless of the cycles (+2.1 in 1st cycle and +3.8 in 2nd cycle). In the subgroup analysis conducted in high-risk patients, patients who received massage chair therapy showed lower CINV score than control group in both cycle (1st cycle 4.78 vs. 4.083 and 2nd cycle 2.78 vs. 3.58, p-value 0.09). High-risk patients who received HEC (1st cycle 6.25 vs. 5.17 and 2nd cycle 3.25 vs. 5.0, p-value 0.0495) presented statistically significant differences of CINV score according to additive massage chair therapy.

Conclusions Short-course electric massage chair to standard care can help preserving quality-of-life and reducing the CINV in high-emetic risk patients.