01/09/2026
New Paper Alert! Published in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network by Jeremy McGuire et al., the randomized pilot study "Feasibility and Efficacy of Reiki Versus Massage for Cancer-Related Fatigue in Patients With Breast and Prostate Cancer Receiving Hormone Therapy" evaluated the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of Reiki compared with massage therapy for reducing cancer-related fatigue in 87 patients with breast cancer receiving aromatase inhibitors or prostate cancer receiving androgen deprivation therapy. Participants were assigned to two massage sessions, two Reiki sessions, or four Reiki sessions. All three interventions significantly reduced fatigue, with improvements sustained at the 10-week follow-up; however, Reiki produced larger within-group effect sizes than massage, particularly the four-session Reiki regimen, which showed the greatest reductions in overall fatigue, worst fatigue, and fatigue-related interference with daily life. Although differences between the treatment groups were not statistically significant, the findings suggested a possible dose-response effect, with greater benefits from four Reiki sessions. The authors concluded that both Reiki and massage are safe and feasible approaches for managing cancer-related fatigue, with Reiki showing particularly promising results that warrant confirmation in larger, adequately powered clinical trials.
Read the paper at: https://bit.ly/4yd1QRE
