Abstract
Objective: To evaluate, through a review, the influence of Reiki therapy on the quality of life of patients diagnosed with cancer. Methods: This study followed the standards established by the main items for reporting Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyzes (PRISMA), using the PubMed, EBSCO and Web of Science databases. Results: 175 articles were identified, of which 21 were selected to include the review. Of the articles used, 5 had a high level (II) of evidence, characterized by randomized controlled trials; 5 articles presented level IV, case-control; 3 studies with level III (randomized trial); and another 3 articles with no evidence classification level. Studies have shown improvements in variables such as: vigor, fatigue, pain, mood and nausea. The improvements in these parameters were corroborated by the effect size analyzes. Some limitations of the study consisted of great variability in the types of cancer, small sample size, design of the studies and the use of the technical term used for therapy that make comparisons between studies difficult. Final considerations: The application of Reiki becomes an important alternative supporting tool for improving the quality of life in cancer patients, despite the limited amount of articles with high methodological quality.