Cynotherapy in Cancer Pain Management: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Objectives: This was a pilot study to evaluate the feasibility and impact of a single dog-assisted therapy (cynotherapy) session in reducing pain and emotional distress in oncological outpatients compared with typical waiting room experience (control).

Design: This was a quasi-experimental before-after controlled study that took place at a chronic pain outpatient clinic of a tertiary cancer center, whose participants were adult oncological patients, able to consent and without medical contraindication.

Setting: Chronic pain outpatient clinic of a tertiary cancer center.

Participants: Adult oncological patients able to consent and without medical contraindication.

Methods: All participants completed self-reported questionnaires including a numeric rating scale for pain and distress thermometer at admission and immediately before departure from the clinic.

Results: Eighty-one patients were enrolled over a 10-month study period, 41 in the cynotherapy group and 40 controls. Improvement was greater in cynotherapy than control group for pain (median difference score = -1.0 vs 0.0; P = 0.037), distress levels (median = -1.0 vs 0.0; P = 0.017), and depression (median = -1.0 vs 0.0; P = 0.030). The proportion of patients with a clinically relevant improvement in pain (reduction ≥2 points) was approximately twofold in the cynotherapy group when compared with controls, although not statistically significant (39% vs 20%, odds ratio = 2.53, 95% confidence interval = 0.86-8.02; P = 0.088). The mean satisfaction rate was 9.3/10, and no negative occurrences were reported.

Conclusion: A single session of dog-assisted therapy can provide immediate improvement in the perception of pain and distress for patients with chronic cancer pain in an outpatient setting, with high satisfaction rates and no negative occurrences. This nonrandomized pilot study points toward the clinical relevance of implementing cynotherapy at a cancer pain clinic and developing a larger scale, more directed study.

Keywords: Animal Assisted Therapy; Emotional Distress; Oncological Pain; Pain Management; Therapy Dog.