The effect of massage for women with breast cancer

..................................................................................................... 5 LIST OF PUBLICATIONS.................................................................................... 6 ABBREVIATIONS.............................................................................................. 7 DEFINITIONS ................................................................................................... 8 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 9 BREAST CANCER ............................................................................................. 9 Incidence 9 Treatment and side-effects 9 Massage ....................................................................................................................10 History 10 Massage techniques 10 Effects of massage .....................................................................................................11 Earlier studies 11 Massage and cancer 11 Possible explanations for the effects of massage ...........................................................12 Gate-control theory 12 Oxytocin 12 Cortisol 13 Immune system 13 Serotonin 13 Autonomic Nervous System 14 The limbic structures 14 Theoretical framework ...............................................................................................14 Massage and nausea 14 Massage and anxiety and depression 14 Massage and stress 15 Massage and immunity 15 AIMS OF THE THESIS...................................................................................... 16 General .....................................................................................................................16 Specific.....................................................................................................................16 MATERIAL AND METHODS ............................................................................. 17 Ethics........................................................................................................................17 Patients .....................................................................................................................17 Measurements............................................................................................................18 Visual analogue scale (paper I) 18 Hospital anxiety depression scale (paper I and III) 19 Phenomenology (paper II) 19 Life satisfaction questionnaire (paper III) 20 State-trait anxiety inventory (paper III) 20 Heart rate and blood-pressure (paper IV) 20 Immunological measures (paper III and IV (NK cells only)) 20 Cortisol (paper III and IV) 22 Oxytocin (paper III) 22