Effect of aromatherapy massage with lavender essential oil on sleep quality, pain, and mental and psychiatric disorders among breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: a randomized controlled trial.
- 2025-07-14
- Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer 33(8)
- Fengxian Zhang
- Lin Cheng
- Sifan Qin
- Liwei Wang
- Yun Liu
- Yuxiu Liu
- Jinhong Yang
- Shirong Fang
- Na An
- Yufeng Zhang
- Jiang Liu
- PubMed: 40653563
- DOI: 10.1007/s00520-025-09741-x
Study Design
- Type
- Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
- Sample size
- n = 96
- Population
- breast cancer survivors (BCS) undergoing chemotherapy
- Methods
- Prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial; lavender aromatherapy vs sweet almond oil massage; from baseline to four weeks after intervention
- Blinding
- Double-blind
- Duration
- four weeks
- Funding
- Unclear
Objectives
To assess the effects of aromatherapy massage on sleep quality and mental and psychological disorders in breast cancer survivors (BCS) undergoing chemotherapy.Methods
The study was a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Eligible breast cancer patients were enrolled in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (received lavender aromatherapy) or the placebo group (received sweet almond oil massage). Aromatherapists focused their massage on specific areas of the body (from the lumbosacral area to the soles of the feet, and then from the shoulders to the palms of the hands). From baseline to four weeks after the intervention, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to assess pain response, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score was used to assess cognitive function, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) was used to assess anxiety, and the Beck Depression Inventory Second Version (BDI-II) was used to assess depression in patients. All statistical analyses were conducted using STATA software (version 16.0), with a P-value < 0.05 considered statistically significant.Results
Ultimately, a total of 96 participants were divided into the intervention group (n = 47) and the placebo group (n = 51). The baseline characteristics were statistically comparable between the two groups. Statistically significant differences were observed in sleep quality scores (7.51 ± 2.90 vs 9.71 ± 2.67, P < 0.001), anxiety scores (20.26 ± 6.73 vs 24.10 ± 6.46, P = 0.005), and pain response (6.66 ± 1.45 vs 7.41 ± 1.19, P = 0.006) of the intervention group compared to the control group at the 4th week post-intervention. However, there was no significant difference in depression scores (29.43 ± 7.17 vs 30.88 ± 6.26, P = 0.286) and cognitive function scores (28.06 ± 1.55 vs 27.51 ± 1.97, P = 0.128) between the two groups.Conclusion
Aroma massage with lavender essential oil may have a positive effect for BCS undergoing chemotherapy and warrants further promotion.Trial registration
This trial was registered at www.Clinicaltrials
gov (Registration Number: NCT06338527, Registration Date: March 28, 2024).Research Insights
no significant difference in...cognitive function scores (28.06 ± 1.55 vs 27.51 ± 1.97, P = 0.128)
- Effect
- Neutral
- Effect size
- Small
Statistically significant differences were observed in sleep quality scores (7.51 ± 2.90 vs 9.71 ± 2.67, P < 0.001)
- Effect
- Beneficial
- Effect size
- Small
anxiety scores (20.26 ± 6.73 vs 24.10 ± 6.46, P = 0.005)
- Effect
- Beneficial
- Effect size
- Moderate
no significant difference in depression scores (29.43 ± 7.17 vs 30.88 ± 6.26, P = 0.286)
- Effect
- Neutral
- Effect size
- Small
pain response (6.66 ± 1.45 vs 7.41 ± 1.19, P = 0.006)
- Effect
- Beneficial
- Effect size
- Small