Society for Oncology Massage

What Society for Oncology Massage does

Society for Oncology Massage (S4OM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association founded in 2007 and headquartered in Auburn, Maine. It is the primary international association for oncology-trained massage therapists and oncology estheticians, setting education standards, certifying practitioners, and connecting cancer patients with safely trained providers through its Preferred Practitioner Directory of over 400 practitioners. S4OM operates alongside its sister organization, the Society for Oncology Esthetics (S4OE), and extends its reach through 19 Recognized Education Provider Organizations across at least eight countries including the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Argentina, the Netherlands, and Spain.

The core product surface comprises Foundational and Supplemental oncology training courses delivered through Recognized Education Providers (course fees flow to the REP organizations rather than S4OM directly), a searchable Preferred Practitioner Directory with filters for distance and practice type, the Regional Champions Initiative (a volunteer geographic network), the Preferred Practitioner Grant Program funding roughly seven projects per year ($1,000 x3, $500 x4), the annual Oncology Massage & Esthetics Healing Summit (in-person and virtual formats), the Collaborative Connections podcast, and a member-only portal with curated research resources. Underlying technology is lightweight: a web directory, calendar subscription integrations (Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365, Outlook Live via webcal), and standard social and podcast distribution.

S4OM generates revenue through Preferred Practitioner membership dues, summit and webinar registration fees, donations, and corporate sponsorships from Carpe Diem, Jojoba Company, Hoba Care, and Pure-Pro. Its go-to-market is community-led: acquisition of practitioners flows through the Regional Champions network, educational events, referrals within the oncology and integrative healthcare community, and word-of-mouth. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, Advisory Board, and committees, with no parent company, outside funding, or institutional investment identified. Named institutional partners include Northwestern Health Sciences University (summit host), Karmanos Cancer Institute and MD Anderson Cancer Center (research collaborators), and Healwell (hospital-based massage organization).

Name

Society for Oncology Massage

Legal name

Society for Oncology Massage

Website

https://s4om.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Society for Oncology Massage (S4OM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association that sets education standards, certifies practitioners, and connects cancer patients with trained oncology massage therapists and estheticians through its international Preferred Practitioner Directory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Oncology Massage Professional Education and Certification

NAICS

Offices of All Other Health Practitioners (62139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical/Therapeutic Massage (Rehab/Pain Management) (HSALAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Massage Therapy & Bodywork (EDAOALAH)

Keywords

• Oncology massage training
• Professional association services
• Continuing education courses
• Patient referral directory
• Nonprofit certification programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Auburn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Preferred Practitioner Membership: Practitioners pay membership fees to be listed in the Preferred Practitioner Directory and gain access to member resources, reduced rates on events, and eligibility for grant programs.
2. Education Course Fees: Revenue generated through Recognized Education Provider Organizations that offer foundational and supplemental oncology massage and esthetics courses. The organization approves providers but course fees go to REP Organizations.
3. Summit and Event Registration: Annual Oncology Massage & Esthetics Healing Summit generates revenue through registration fees for in-person and virtual educational events.
4. Donations and Sponsorships: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, S4OM accepts financial donations, sponsorships from corporate partners like Carpe Diem and Jojoba Company, and fundraising contributions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Society for Oncology Massage is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association that sets education standards, certifies, and supports massage therapists and estheticians who provide oncology-informed massage and skincare services to cancer patients. Its core offerings are Foundational and Supplemental training courses delivered through Recognized Education Provider Organizations, a searchable Preferred Practitioner Directory, and an annual Summit, all tied together through Preferred Practitioner membership.

Product overview

The Society for Oncology Massage (S4OM) and Society for Oncology Esthetics (S4OE) operates as a unified professional organization offering oncology-informed massage therapy and esthetics training, certification, and practitioner networking services. The core offerings include Foundational and Supplemental Training Courses through Recognized Education Provider Organizations (REP Orgs), a searchable Preferred Practitioner Directory with over 400 practitioners, the Regional Champions Initiative for community networking, and the Preferred Practitioner Grant Program for research and community projects. Supporting programs include the Collaborative Connections Podcast (21 episodes), annual Oncology Massage & Esthetics Healing Summits, Cynthia Myers Memorial Scholarships, and a member login portal with curated research resources. The organization functions as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with EIN# 26-1560225.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oncology Massage Training and Certification Foundational and Supplemental oncology massage training programs delivered through Recognized Education Provider Organizations, preparing licensed massage therapists to safely work with cancer patients during treatment, recovery, and survivorship.
• Oncology Esthetics Training and Certification Specialized esthetics training focused on safe skincare treatments for people living with cancer, including Foundational and Supplemental Courses covering skin, hair, and nail changes from cancer treatments.
• Preferred Practitioner Directory Searchable online directory connecting cancer patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers with trained oncology massage therapists and oncology estheticians, with filter options for distance radius and practice type.
• Oncology Massage & Esthetics Healing Summit Annual conference held in-person and virtually for practitioners, clinicians, researchers, and allied professionals to share research and explore best practices in oncology-informed massage and esthetics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400 Preferred Practitioners listed in directory serving cancer patients internationally
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northwestern Health Sciences University (NWHSU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2023Host partner for the 7th Oncology Massage Healing Summit in April 2023, held at NWHSU campus in Bloomington, Minnesota. Represents S4OM's collaboration with academic healthcare institutions for education and professional development.
• Carpe DiemminorOthersCorporate sponsor for S4OM events and the 2023 Oncology Massage Healing Summit. Carpe Diem provides CBD products relevant to oncology massage practice.
• The Original Jojoba CompanyminorOthersCorporate sponsor for S4OM events, providing jojoba-based skincare products for oncology esthetics applications.
• Hoba CareminorOthersProfessional alliance partner providing skincare products suitable for oncology esthetics treatments.
• Pure-ProminorOthersProfessional alliance partner supplying professional skincare products for oncology esthetics providers.
• HealwellminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospital-based massage organization and summit exhibitor focused on therapeutic massage in healthcare settings. Executive Director Cal Cates was interviewed for S4OM's Collaborative Connections Podcast.
• Association of Massage Therapists in HealthcareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummit exhibitor and professional ally promoting massage therapy in healthcare environments.
• Oncology Spa SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecognized Education Provider Organization offering oncology esthetics training, supporting S4OE's mission to promote skincare standards for cancer patients.
• Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Greater Lansing HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for S4OM Preferred Practitioner Kate Prouty's clinical trial on massage therapy for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, demonstrating healthcare institution collaboration.
• Little Pink Houses of HopeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner collaborating with S4OM Preferred Practitioner Donna Spencer to provide pop-up oncology massage clinics for families affected by cancer during vacation retreats.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Healwell: Hospital-based massage organization focused on integrating therapeutic massage into healthcare settings. Listed as a summit exhibitor and collaborator with S4OM, and competes for the same hospital-system integration and oncology-massage training niche.
• Society for Oncology Esthetics (S4OE): Sister organization to S4OM, operating under the same 501(c)(3) umbrella and covering the esthetics side of oncology-informed care. Shared leadership, infrastructure, and training standards make it the closest possible comparable.
• Society for Integrative Oncology: Multidisciplinary professional organization advancing evidence-based integrative therapies in cancer care. Direct overlap with S4OM's mission of supporting safe, oncology-informed complementary care, and comparable professional-association model with education, research, and member-referral components.

Others

• Massage Therapy Foundation: Nonprofit research and education foundation supporting massage therapy research. Comparable nonprofit mission and grants/research orientation, and an adjacent resource for the same practitioner audience that S4OM serves.
• Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE): Professional association for health educators promoting evidence-based public health practice. Relevant comparable for S4OM's training-standards, continuing-education, and member-resource model within the broader health-education association space.
• National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB): Independent certification body for massage therapists and bodyworkers. Comparable role in setting practitioner credentials and education standards, and intersects with S4OM's Preferred Practitioner designation as adjacent credentialing infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA): Largest professional membership organization for massage therapists in the United States. Operates broadly across all massage disciplines rather than specializing in oncology, but competes for the same practitioner-membership pool and continuing-education spend.
• Oncology Nursing Society (ONS): Large professional association for oncology nurses, with education, certification, and research programs serving cancer-care providers. S4OM positions itself as a referral partner to oncology professionals and competes for the same continuing-education and conference-attention share within oncology.
• International Spa Association (ISPA): Global membership association representing the spa and wellness industry, including esthetics providers. Relevant comparable for S4OM's esthetics membership and education-provider ecosystem, though not focused on oncology.
• Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP): Major U.S. massage and bodywork membership association providing liability insurance, education, and member resources. Comparable membership-based model and overlapping practitioner audience, though broader in scope than S4OM's oncology specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/s4om_org
• Facebookfacebook.com/s4om.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/society-for-oncology-massage
• Instagraminstagram.com/s4om_org

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Society for Oncology Massage