The effect of aroma therapy with peppermint oil on acute nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy among breast cancer patients: Randomized control trial

Background and Objective: breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies in the world and in Iran. Prevalence of this disease in Iran 24.2% was reported. One of the main alternatives for treating breast cancer is chemotherapy, which causes complications, such as nausea and vomiting (24 hours after chemotherapy). The aim of this study was to determine the effect of aroma therapy with peppermint oil on acute nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy among breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: This study was Randomized clinical trial on 100 women suffering from Breast Cancer who was receiving chemotherapy as outpatient s hospital care, in Imam Khomeini hospital. Before chemotherapy and after obtaining informed consent, the patients with Randomized Block Designs were allocated into intervention and control group. Intervention group received routine medications for controlling nausea and vomiting as well as aroma therapy with peppermint. Meanwhile, the control group received only the routine medications and aromatherapy with normal saline. The data were gathered by using demographic and Rhodes Standard Questionnaire (about severity and number of nausea and vomiting). The results obtained from both groups were compared by using the SPSS version 21 software and descriptive and analytic statistics. Findings: The results showed between two groups in some variables such as age, duration of cancer, history of alcohol, history of nausea and vomiting there was no statistical difference. Use of aromatherapy with peppermint lead to decreased of nausea and vomiting and without any complications (p<.0.5). Indeed, more than half of samples stated that they satisfied with aromatherapy and recommend it to others. Conclusions: aromatherapy with peppermint in cancer patients could decreased nausea and vomiting in acute phase. It is suggested that nurses use this aroma therapy as a complementary treatment, inexpensive and without complications for relieving the nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy

کلیدواژه ها:

Aroma therapy ، acute nausea and vomiting ، breast cancer ، peppermint