Supporting Comfort, Dignity, and Quality of Life
Living with cancer—whether you are newly diagnosed, in active treatment, or years into survivorship—places a unique physical, emotional, and spiritual load on the body. Oncology informed massage is a specialized approach to touch that respects those realities and is designed to support quality of life, not to treat the disease itself.
This page is written for both people living with cancer and the physicians, nurses, and care teams who support them.
What Is Oncology Informed Massage?
Oncology informed massage is massage therapy that has been thoughtfully adapted for people with a history of cancer at any stage: diagnosis, treatment, recovery, or long-term survivorship.
Instead of applying a “one-size-fits-all” routine, each session is shaped around:
- Your current and past treatments
- Your energy level and comfort on that particular day
- Areas of sensitivity, pain, or medical devices
- Your goals—whether that is easing anxiety, sleeping better, or simply feeling like yourself for a while
The intention is gentle: to reduce stress, support rest, ease discomfort where possible, and offer safe, respectful human touch in a time when the body can feel medicalized or fragile. Sensitive Care for People in Treatment and Survivorship.
Every oncology informed session begins with listening.
Before any hands-on work, we review your current health picture:
- Recent and upcoming treatments (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, immunotherapy, hormone therapy)
- Devices such as ports, PICC lines, ostomies, drains, feeding tubes, or pumps
- Areas of radiation, scar tissue, lymphedema or lymphedema risk
- Bone metastases, osteoporosis, or other factors that change how and where pressure can be applied
- Typical side effects you experience—fatigue, pain, neuropathy, nausea, dizziness, sleep disturbance
- From there, each session is adjusted in real time. That might mean:
- Extremely light, slow touch on a day when you are exhausted
- Shorter, focused work if a full session would be too much
- Extra bolstering and positioning to protect surgical sites or lines
- Avoiding certain areas completely when they are not appropriate for massage
You are always invited to speak up, change your mind, or stop at any time. Consent is ongoing, and your comfort comes first.
How This Work Can Help Patients
Oncology informed massage is not a treatment for cancer. It does not replace chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, or any medical care. What it can offer is support in ways that often matter deeply to patients:
- A calmer nervous system—less “on alert,” more able to rest
- Easing of muscle tension and general aches from treatment, positioning, or stress
- Gentle relief from the feeling of being “touched only by procedures”
- A guided hour or two where the focus is solely on your comfort, not on tests or results
- A sense of being seen as a whole person, not just a diagnosis
For many clients, having a regular, predictable time of safe touch and quiet support can be an important anchor through cycles of treatment, scans, and follow-up visits.
For Physicians and Oncology Care Teams
Oncology informed massage at Advanced Bodywork Therapeutics is designed to complement—not replace—medical care. My role is supportive and firmly within the scope of massage therapy.
Key points for clinicians:
- Sessions are modified with respect for:
- Chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery timelines
- Central lines, ports, PICC lines, drains, ostomies, and feeding tubes
- Bone metastases and bone density changes
- Lymphedema and lymphedema risk (including node dissection and radiated fields)
- Fatigue, anemia, thrombocytopenia, neuropathy, and dizziness
- Pressure, duration, and positioning are adjusted conservatively, based on:
- Patient report
- Visual and palpatory cues
- Known contraindications and precautions for oncology populations
I welcome guidance from the oncology team and will respect any specific parameters you provide (for example, avoiding certain areas, deferring massage around particular treatments, or limiting session length).
The intention is to provide comfort-focused, gentle support that aligns with your plan of care, helps manage stress and symptom burden where appropriate, and maintains clear professional boundaries.
Professional Background and Approach
Oncology informed massage at Advanced Bodywork Therapeutics is provided by Matthew G. Moller, LMT, MB, a dual-licensed massage therapist (Arizona and California) with advanced training in clinical and restorative bodywork.
My background includes:
Specialized education, training, and clinical applications with patients in all stages of cancer, and NED survivors
Decades of advanced education, hands-on practice with complex orthopedic and neurologic conditions
Structural, functional, and energetic assessment skills
Long-term involvement in martial arts and restorative practices, integrating discipline, sensitivity, and respect for the body’s limits
In oncology work specifically, I bring:
A cautious, evidence-informed mindset: “safer and gentler” rather than “more and deeper”
A commitment to staying within scope and deferring to the medical team when questions arise
An emphasis on communication—checking in before, during, and after sessions so patients feel heard, not pushed
Each visit is unhurried. Time is built in for conversation, questions, slow transitions on and off the table or chair, and any needed rest breaks.
How Sessions Are Provided
Oncology informed massage is offered as an in-home service to reduce the strain of travel and clinic environments.
Sessions are typically scheduled as up to two hours, including intake, set-up, hands-on time, and clean-up.
Care is available throughout the East Valley, including East Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, and Queen Creek, with additional locations by arrangement.
This is a private, cash-only practice. Many clients value the simplicity of direct payment and, when applicable, may use HSA or FSA funds with provided receipts.
An Invitation to Connect
If you are living with cancer or supporting someone who is, you are welcome to reach out with questions before scheduling. We can discuss:
- Your current treatment plan and whether massage is appropriate right now
- What a session might look like for your specific situation
- How often sessions might realistically support your quality of life
If you are a physician, nurse, or other member of an oncology team, I am happy to provide additional information, discuss general safety parameters, or talk through whether this kind of supportive care could benefit particular patients in your practice.
Oncology informed massage is ultimately about presence, safety, and respect—for the person in front of me, and for the medical journey they endure..