Abstract 3869
Background
Children and adolescents with cancer are at risk of experiencing distress in relation to their cancer diagnosis, treatment and treatment-related procedures. Complementary therapies such as reflexology may be used to help alleviate distressing symptoms; however, there is a dearth of research regarding the experience of reflexology from the perspective of children/adolescents with cancer and/or the parents/guardians of those who have received these treatments. Objective: To ascertain the perceptions of parents/guardians regarding their child/adolescent’s experience of reflexology or non-specific foot massage.
Methods
Children and adolescents aged between 7 and 18 years attending a national children’s hospital for cancer treatment were invited to participate in a randomised controlled trial using a Mixed Between Group Repeated Measures design following receipt of ethical approval from the hospital’s Research Ethics Committee. In total, 75 children/adolescents either consented or assented to take part in the study. Of these, 39 were randomized to the intervention group (reflexology) and 36 to the control group (non-specific foot massage). Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with parents/guardians using an interview guide. Interviews were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis.
Results
The overarching theme which emerged across the interviews was participants’ perceptions of the foot treatments in general as a means of supporting the child during treatment for cancer. This central theme is discussed under a number of subthemes, namely psychological wellbeing, perceived physiological impact, time and space, a safe relationship and service development.
Conclusions
The parents/guardians views regarding the foot treatments in general were consistently positive. The implications of the study findings and the future delivery of the complementary therapy service will be discussed.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
UCD.
Funding
Childhood Cancer Foundation.
Disclosure
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Resources from the same session
2743 - The Impact of Targeted Therapies and Immunotherapy in Melanoma Brain Metastases: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Presenter: Mario Mandala
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
5479 - Intracranial Anti-Tumor Activity in Melanoma Brain Metastases with Encorafenib Plus Binimetinib: A Multicenter, Retrospective Analysis
Presenter: Jose Lutzky
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
3560 - Outcomes of Patients with Melanoma Brain Metastases (MBM) Treated with Standard of Care Therapy After Being Excluded from MBM-Specific Clinical Trials
Presenter: Kourtney Holbrook
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
3175 - The analysis of current treatment outcomes in melanoma patients with brain metastases
Presenter: Joanna Placzke
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
4550 - A multivariate model to define prognostic groups among patients with melanoma brain metastases: a 10-year retrospective cohort study
Presenter: Giacomo Pelizzari
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
4191 - The immune landscape of melanoma significantly influences survival in patients with highly mutated tumors.
Presenter: Robert Ferguson
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
1625 - Final Results from Phase II of Combination with Canerpaturev (formerly HF10), an Oncolytic Viral Immunotherapy, and Ipilimumab in Unresectable or Metastatic Melanoma in 2nd-or later line treatment
Presenter: Kenji Yokota
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
5346 - Evaluating polygenic risk score prediction model for melanoma prognosis
Presenter: Miriam Potrony
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
5477 - Impact of sarcopenia in patients with metastatic melanoma treated with immunotherapy
Presenter: Maria Grazia Vitale
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
3469 - Ancillary evaluation of systemic immune antitumor response (SIAR) and tumor growth rate (TGR) of patients (pts) with metastatic melanoma (MM) treated with radiotherapy (RT) combined with ipilimumab (ipi) in the phase 1 study Mel-Ipi-Rx.
Presenter: Celine Boutros
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract