At the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine study has been done using 380 advanced-stage cancer patients to see what, if anything, regular massage therapy will do for their pain, Sanjay Gupta of TIME reports. The study showed that patients who were given regular massages had less pain and better moods than the patients who did not receive massage therapy.
To these patients even the most miniscule amount of relief is appreciated, and according to the National Cancer Institute, 15 to 25 percent of all cancer patients become clinically depressed and the treatment they endure does not improve matters.
David Mejia, who has multiple myeloma and became depressed, attested that the massage not only helped his body, but it also helped him feel healthier. This stands to reason, considering that when you receive a massage, your serotonin and dopamine receptors jump in activity and the cortisol level, a stress hormone, drops.
(10/22/08, Gupta, TIME).