Charles L. Loprinzi, MD

Charles L. Loprinzi, MD, Regis Professor of Breast Cancer Oncology at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota, discussed the abstract on oncology massage to treat chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. He said that although massage therapy shows promise for this patient population, its clinical application remains limited at the moment.

“The currently available data do not support clinical practice recommendation of therapeutic massage for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy or insurance reimbursement for this treatment,” said Dr. Loprinzi. “That said, massages can feel good, and there does not appear to be any reason to recommend against them for prominent chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. It might, in fact, make the patient feel better.”

Regarding the impact on future patient care, Dr. Loprinzi emphasized that further data, perhaps from the planned phase III trial suggested by the authors, are needed. “If this phase III trial is positive, then I think massage therapy would be a nice approach to treating our patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy,” he concluded. ■

DISCLOSURE: Dr. Loprinzi reported no conflicts of interest.