In 2009 a study conducted by Billhult et al., the short-term effects of light pressure effleurage massage on immune function and stress levels in women undergoing treatment for breast cancer were explored. The study, a single-center, prospective, randomized, and controlled trial, aimed to assess the influence of massage therapy on circulating lymphocytes, particularly peripheral blood natural killer (NK) cells, as well as on salivary cortisol levels, heart rate, and blood pressure.

Thirty women, aged between 50 and 75 years, diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing radiation therapy in a hospital in southwestern Sweden, participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to either receive a full-body light pressure effleurage massage or undergo a control visit, where they received an equal amount of attention but no massage. Blood samples, saliva, and recordings of heart rate and blood pressure were collected before and after the massage/control visit. The data were analyzed using Student’s t-test to determine differences in changes over time between the two groups.

The results revealed that light pressure effleurage massage had a beneficial effect on NK cell activity, mitigating the deterioration typically observed during radiation therapy in breast cancer patients. Additionally, the massage therapy was found to reduce heart rate and systolic blood pressure. However, no significant effects were observed on cortisol levels or diastolic blood pressure.

These findings suggest that a single session of full-body light pressure effleurage massage can have short-term benefits for breast cancer patients, including improvements in immune function and reductions in stress markers such as heart rate and systolic blood pressure. Nonetheless, the long-term clinical significance of these effects requires further investigation. This study contributes valuable insights into the potential role of massage therapy as a complementary intervention in the management of breast cancer treatment-related symptoms.

Reference: Billhult, A., Lindholm, C., Gunnarsson, R., & Stener-Victorin, E. (2009). The effect of massage on immune function and stress in women with breast cancer—a randomized controlled trial. Autonomic Neuroscience, 150(1-2), 111-115.