Aromatherapy and cancer study

Institute of Psychiatry, UK in the press release dated 13 February 2007, reported that a major new study by it researchers, in conjunction with Cancer Research UK, says aromatherapy really helps cancer patients. Aromatherapy can significantly lift anxiety and depression according to an authoritative study in the latest issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

According to the report, the new study is significant, and not just because it indicates that after chemotherapy and other treatment, aromatherapy helps to relieve anxiety and depression much quicker than other approaches.

The researchers believe it is the first large randomised controlled trial to be conducted on a complementary therapy in several centres in the NHS.

‘I think it's enormously exciting,' says lead researcher, Amanda Ramirez, Professor of Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry and Director of the Cancer Research UK London Psychosocial Group. ‘I'm unaware of other treatments, including talking therapies, that can achieve such fast improvements in people with cancer who are anxious or depressed.'

The study, which cost £300,000, examined 288 people with all types of cancer and at various stages of the disease who had had anxiety or depression diagnosed after treatment.

Many had severe symptoms such as panic attacks, inability to sleep and needle phobia.

Recent studies have indicated that about half of cancer sufferers get some such problems in the first year.

Half of the subjects in the trial received a course of weekly aromatherapy massage and half received normal support services, such as counselling and, in severe cases, psychotherapy and medication.

Their symptoms were monitored for 12 weeks.

The results were so clear that they surprised Professor Ramirez. Symptoms lifted far earlier in the aromatherapy group than in the nonaromatherapy group; within two weeks of the treatment beginning as opposed to six weeks.

And although by ten weeks after the trial started the two groups showed equal alleviation of symptoms, members of the group receiving aromatherapy consistently reported more improvement in anxiety than the other group right though the trial.

However, aromatherapy seemed to bring no significant improvement to pain, fatigue, nausea and vomiting.

‘The results show that aromatherapy really accelerates the improvement in anxiety and depression,' says Professor Ramirez. ‘And when you consider that many people in the trial had a limited life expectancy, that acceleration is a huge gain to health and wellbeing.'

Around one in three cancer patients tries complementary therapies.

Aromatherapy and massage are popular, and reported benefits prompted Professor Ramirez and cancer specialists from Mount Vernon Hospital, Middlesex, to start the trial in 1998.

Notes to editors
For further information, contact Jill Holliday, Research Manager, Cancer Research UK London Psychosocial Group. Telephone: 020 7188 0907.