Advancing Massage Therapy in Integrative Oncology Care: The IMAGINE Project

As health care systems increasingly adopt integrative approaches to patient care, massage therapy is gaining recognition as a meaningful, evidence-based option, particularly in oncology settings. The Implementing Massage and Acupuncture to Achieve Better Pain Management in Oncology Care (IMAGINE) Project is helping advance that initiative, working to bring massage therapy and acupuncture into standard cancer care through real-world implementation.

The IMAGINE Project builds on a growing body of research demonstrating the impact of integrative therapies on pain and quality of life for patients with cancer. AMTA spoke with Kelly McConnell, PhD, a clinical psychologist and co–Principal Investigator on the project, and Rocco Caputo, LMT, the project’s lead massage therapist, to explore how IMAGINE is translating research into practice, and what it could mean for the future of integrative oncology care.

What Is the IMAGINE Project?

The IMAGINE Project is an implementation initiative led by Principal Investigator Dr. Jun J. Mao who champions a long-term goal of making integrative oncology treatments part of standard care. The project builds directly on findings from the 2023 IMPACT trials, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), which examined the effects of massage therapy and acupuncture on pain and co-morbid symptoms in patients with advanced cancer.

Rocco Caputo, who was a lead therapist and educator in the IMPACT trial, emphasizes a key takeaway from the research: “Clinical outcomes improve when you treat the person, not just the pathology.”

He also highlights how far these therapies have come in clinical settings:

“Massage and acupuncture were the first modalities implemented in the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Integrative Medicine and Wellness Service (MSK)  25 years ago. These therapies moved from spa treatments to medical necessities when the data proved that they significantly improved the symptom burden.”

The IMPACT trial reinforced these data as it found that both massage therapy and acupuncture were associated with reduced pain and improvements in fatigue, insomnia, and overall quality of life over 26 weeks. These findings laid the foundation for the IMAGINE Project.

As Dr. McConnell explains, the project was designed “to try to reach as many patients as possible with these evidence-based protocols.”

Funded by PCORI, IMAGINE is a collaboration between MSK and the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO). The project, launched in April 2025, began working with cancer centers in October 2025, and will roll out in 35 cancer centers across the U.S., divided into four cohorts, over the next four years.

Importantly, Dr. McConnell underscores that IMAGINE “is not a research project—it’s an implementation project.”

That distinction matters. Unlike controlled trials, implementation projects focus on how to integrate evidence-based care into real-world settings. This approach allows flexibility in adapting protocols and data collection methods to better reflect patient needs and clinical realities.

While early implementation has generated strong engagement and excitement from massage therapists, acupuncturists, and cancer center leaders, it is too soon to report outcomes.

Goals of the IMAGINE Project

Although results are still forthcoming, the IMAGINE team has clear goals for what this project can achieve.

One major objective is improving feasibility and ensuring integrative therapies can be delivered effectively within today’s health care systems. Another goal is to address a persistent knowledge gap about the effectiveness of massage therapy and acupuncture for health and wellbeing.

Many clinicians remain unaware, or even skeptical, of the evidence-base that supports these therapies. Dr. McConnell notes that, “Part of what IMAGINE is doing is to provide resources to address that knowledge gap.”

These resources include educational materials and videos designed not only for patients and their families, but also for oncology providers. Through its partnership with MSK and SIO, the project aims to expand access to these tools across the integrative oncology field.

At the same time, IMAGINE is navigating an important balance: delivering standardized, evidence-based care while still allowing for individualized treatment. The project’s structure is designed to evaluate how best to integrate these approaches while ensuring care remains both effective and patient-centered.

Looking ahead, Caputo sees potential for long-term systemic change:

“If the data continues to show better outcomes, these targeted treatments will expand into more facilities. That original goal of making them standard care can become reality.”

Looking to the Future of Integrative Care

The IMAGINE Project represents an important step in advancing integrative care and nonpharmacological options for pain relief in heath care spaces.

Dr. McConnell sees the project contributing to a broader shift:

“The hope is to keep providing additional data to increase utilization of these treatments, and to elevate the field of integrative oncology overall.”

More data not only strengthens clinical confidence but also helps justify the integration of massage and acupuncture into standard care models. The team hopes this will create a “snowball effect,” where growing evidence leads to wider adoption nationwide.

Findings from the earlier IMPACT trials already point to promising outcomes, including a significant reduction in pain medication use among patients receiving massage therapy and acupuncture.

Beyond clinical outcomes, both McConnell and Caputo highlight the importance of community among practitioners, patients, and care teams. They explain how building and sustaining that collaborative network will be key to improving patient care and supporting long-term integration.

Ultimately, the goal is clear: expand access to effective, evidence-based, nonpharmacological care options for individuals with cancer.

As Caputo puts it: “The future of nonpharmaceutical interventions is bright.”

AMTA’s Commitment to Advancing the Profession

AMTA remains committed to expanding access to integrative health care options like massage therapy. Through legislative advocacy, research investment, and strategic outreach, AMTA continues to champion massage therapy as an effective, nonpharmacological approach to pain management, including for individuals with cancer. 

The IMAGINE Project represents meaningful progress toward that vision, helping move massage therapy further into the mainstream of oncology care.

Explore additional research and resources on Massage for Cancer.

Research reported in this article was funded through a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Award (DI-2024C1-37390). The views, statements, and opinions in this article are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), its Board of Governors or Methodology Committee.