Effectiveness and safety of massage in the treatment of anxiety and depression in patients with cancer: protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Anxiety and depression, complications of cancer, are prevalent but often overlooked mental illnesses. Studies have demonstrated that massage therapy is useful in relieving anxiety and depression of cancer survivors. However, the mechanism is still unclear and no systematic review has provided sufficient evidence for the treatment. Therefore, this protocol is carried out to comprehensively evaluate the reliability of cancer patients with anxiety and depression treated by massage. Methods We will systematically search the relevant literature from PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, Wanfang, Chongqing VIP, CNKI and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database from the establishment of the databases to June 1, 2020. In addition, we will only include randomized controlled trials about massage for cancer survivors with anxiety and depression, regardless of language and publication status. Two experienced researchers will separately screen the literature, collect data, analyze data and synthesize data using RevMan V.5.3 software. The quality of the included trials in the study will be assessed by the Cochrane bias risk assessment tool. Results The protocol for the meta-analysis will systematically evaluate the reliability of massage therapy for cancer patients with anxiety and depression. Conclusion This conclusion will provide an important basis for evaluating whether massage is reliable in treating cancer survivors who feel anxious and depressed. Inplasy registration number INPLASY202060101.