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VOLUME 14, 2013  Issue Number 6 , 3903-3907
DownLoad : 3903-907 5.24 Khiewkhern S.pdf
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Effectiveness of Aromatherapy with Light Thai Massage for Cellular Immunity Improvement in Colorectal Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy
Santisith Khiewkhern et al.
Abstract
Background: Patients with colorectal cancer are usually treated with chemotherapy, which reduces the number
of blood cells, especially white blood cells, and consequently increases the risk of infections. Some research
studies have reported that aromatherapy massage affects the immune system and improves immune function
by, for example, increasing the numbers of natural killer cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes. However,
there has been no report of any study which provided good evidence as to whether aromatherapy with Thai
massage could improve the immune system in patients with colorectal cancer. The objectives of this study were
to determine whether the use of aromatherapy with light Thai massage in patients with colorectal cancer, who
have received chemotherapy, can result in improvement of the cellular immunity and reduce the severity of the
common symptoms of side effects. Materials and Methods: Sixty-six patients with colorectal cancer in Phichit
Hospital, Thailand, were enrolled in a single-blind, randomised-controlled trial. The intervention consisted of
three massage sessions with ginger and coconut oil over a 1-week period. The control group received standard
supportive care only. Assessments were conducted at pre-assessment and at the end of one week of massage or
standard care. Changes from pre-assessment to the end of treatment were measured in terms of white blood cells,
neutrophils, lymphocytes, CD4 and CD8 cells and the CD4/CD8 ratio and also the severity of self-rated symptom
scores. Results: The main finding was that after adjusting for pre-assessment values the mean lymphocyte count
at the post-assessment was significantly higher (P=0.04) in the treatment group than in the controls. The size
of this difference suggested that aromatherapy with Thai massage could boost lymphocyte numbers by 11%.
The secondary outcomes were that at the post assessment the symptom severity scores for fatigue, presenting
symptom, pain and stress were significantly lower in the massage group than in the standard care controls.
Conclusions: Aromatherapy with light Thai massage can be beneficial for the immune systems of cancer patients
who are undergoing chemotherapy by increasing the number of lymphocytes and can help to reduce the severity
of common symptoms.
Key Words: Colorectal cancer - aromatherapy - light Thai massage - chemotherapy - cellular immunity
 
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