Efficacy of Massage for the Treatment of Cancer-Related Fatigue (CRF) in Prostate Cancer Survivors (mProstate)

Fatigue is the most common, and one of the most devastating symptoms among patients with cancer. According to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is "a distressing, persistent, subjective sense of physical, emotional, and/or cognitive exhaustion related to cancer or its treatment that is not proportional to recent activity". Fatigue occurs across the spectrum of cancer types and treatments. CRF has a negative impact on all areas of function, including mood, physical function, work performance, social interaction, family care, cognitive performance, schoolwork, and community activities. CRF has been rated as more troublesome and to have a greater negative impact on quality of life than other cancer-related symptoms such as pain, depression, and nausea. CRF can persist for months or years after cancer therapy is completed.

Meaningful, evidence-based treatment options for CRF are limited. Over 50% of patients with cancer have used a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approach for symptom management and quality of life. One of the widely employed CAM interventions is massage therapy. Most of the studies investigating massage for patients with cancer focus on depression, anxiety, or pain as the outcomes of interest. A previous investigation of breast cancer survivors reported decreases in mood symptoms and an improvement in fatigue, however, CRF was not the primary outcome measure. This randomized clinical trial will test the efficacy of Swedish massage therapy (SMT) vs. an active control condition (light touch, LT) on cancer related fatigue in men with prostatic cancer, at least 2 months after the end of their radiation therapy. Participants will receive weekly treatments for 6 weeks.

The aims of the study are as follows:

Aim 1: To conduct a feasibility study to determine whether a 6-week SMT intervention can decrease CRF among prostate cancer survivors who have received radiation therapy and have CRF.

Aim 2: To determine whether the hypothesized decrease in CRF is due to SMT modulating the immune system of subjects with CRF. The researchers hypothesize that SMT will decrease plasma concentrations of IL-6 (a pro-inflammatory cytokine) more than LT and that the decrease in plasma IL-6 will mediate the decrease in fatigue as assessed with the MFI.

Aim 3: To determine whether SMT improves self-reported quality of life, depression, and anxiety more than LT, as assessed (respectively) by the Quality of Life, Enjoyment, and Satisfaction Questionnaire - short form (Q-LES-Q), the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms - Self-Report (QIDS-SR), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale.

Aim 4: To evaluate the peripheral physiological changes associated with treatment of CRF. The researchers predict that treatment with SMT will cause a progressive increase in wearable measures of activity and step count, improved sleep quality (duration and latency), and decrease in pulse over 6 weeks when compared to baseline measures.

Aim 5: To determine if valid and useful tests of SMT effectiveness for treating CRF can be obtained through daily self-report ratings of fatigue and continuous monitoring of physiological signs. The researchers predict that SMT will cause a significant decrease in daily self-ratings of fatigue and mood when compared to baseline ratings and that the decreases in daily self-ratings of fatigue and mood observed with SMT will correlate with changes in Q-LES-Q, QIDS-SR, GAD-7 scores obtained at in-person visits as well as physiological signs.