Methodological reflections on body-mind intervention studies with cancer patients.

Objective: Methodological reflection on the content, results and limitations of three body-mind intervention studies with cancer patients (CPs) in order to improve the quality of studies on body-mind interventions and to raise the potential value for CPs.

Methods: A secondary analysis of a study on haptotherapy and two studies applying relaxing face massage, using a variety of well-being effect measures. Six methodological themes are discussed: (1) drop-out; (2) characteristics of participating patients, (3) participation of patients in other complementary interventions; (4) satisfaction of participants; (5) effects of the three interventions, and (6) role of response shift.

Evaluation of haptotherapy for patients with cancer treated with chemotherapy at a day clinic.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a haptotherapeutic treatment and its effects on the perceived well-being of patients with cancer treated with chemotherapy in day care.

Methods: The study had a pre-test-post-test semi-experimental design, with 31 patients in the intervention group and 26 in the control group. Patients in the control group were matched with patients in the experimental condition with respect to age, gender, type of cancer, type of chemotherapy, prognosis and the period between pre- and post-test.