OBJECTIVES:
Primary
* Determine whether quality of life is improved in patients with epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cavity cancer receiving hypnosis, massage therapy, and healing touch and standard chemotherapy as compared to patients receiving standard chemotherapy alone.
Secondary
* Determine changes in immunologic response markers, chemotherapy side effects, and complication rates in these patients.
OUTLINE: This is a randomized study. Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.
* Arm I (standard therapy): Patients undergo standard chemotherapy for epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer.
* Arm II (standard therapy with complementary alternative medicine): Patients undergo chemotherapy as in arm I. Patients also undergo massage over approximately 30 minutes and healing touch therapy over approximately 30 minutes with each course of chemotherapy 1-6 and hypnosis over 30-60 minutes during courses 1, 2, and 4.
Quality of life is assessed at baseline, during courses 3 and 6 of chemotherapy, and then 6 months after completion of study treatment.
After completion of study treatment, patients are followed at 6 months.
