Evaluating Aromatherapy with Asian Plant Extracts to Reduce Distress in Breast Cancer Patients Before Radiotherapy

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating the use of inhalation aromatherapy as a complementary therapy to reduce distress in female breast cancer patients in Singapore who are scheduled to begin radiotherapy. The study focuses on the effects of inhaling extracts from familiar Asian aromatic plants and aims to establish evidence for aromatherapy's role in cancer care. This research involves a randomized, double-blind design comparing the intervention to a placebo control. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: one group receives an inhaler stick with 2 drops of an Asian plant extract blend, while the other group receives a placebo inhaler with 2 drops of carrier oil. On the day of their first radiotherapy session, patients will use the inhaler by holding it about 8 cm from their nose and taking up to three sniffs every 5 minutes for a total of 20 minutes. This inhalation procedure is designed to assess aromatherapy's impact on distress and anxiety. During the study, patients will undergo evaluations including distress and anxiety scoring, blood pressure and pulse rate measurements, and saliva sample collection before and after the inhalation intervention. These measures will be repeated at baseline on the day of CT simulation and on the radiotherapy day before and after the intervention. The study plans to recruit 300 breast cancer patients aged 21 to 99 years, monitoring outcomes related to distress, anxiety, and cortisol levels associated with stress.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Aromatherapy for Alleviating Distress in Breast Cancer Patients Before Radiotherapy.