MONDAY, July 12 (HealthDay News) -- For children undergoing stem
cell transplantation, complementary therapies such as massage and
humor therapy don't seem to reduce their distress, researchers
found.
Stem cell transplantation is used to treat cancer and other
illnesses, and it is a prolonged and physically demanding process
that often causes children and their families high levels of
distress, the authors of the study noted. Previous studies have
shown that complementary therapies, such as hypnosis and massage,
can sometimes help adult patients cope with stem cell
transplantation.
The results of the new U.S. study, which included 178 children
undergoing stem cell transplantation at four medical centers, were
released online July 12 in advance of publication in an upcoming
print issue of the journal
Cancer.
The participants were randomly assigned to different groups,
including: a child-targeted intervention involving massage and
humor therapy; the same child intervention program plus a parent
intervention program involving massage and relaxation/imagery; or
standard care.
The intervention programs began upon hospital admission and
continued through the third week of the stem cell transplantation
treatment. The children and their parents were evaluated for
distress and mood problems each week from the time of admission
through the sixth week.
The complementary therapies didn't produce significant benefits
for the children, the study authors found. And although this
finding doesn't prove that the interventions don't work, the
results do raise questions about the benefits of such therapies for
children undergoing stem cell transplantation, team leader Sean
Phipps of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis noted in
a news release from the journal's publisher.
Overall, the levels of distress among the children undergoing
stem cell transplantation were low, the researchers added, which
suggests that they likely do well with standard supportive
care.
More information
The American Cancer Society has more about
stem cell transplants for cancer.