Cancer-Related Fatigue: A Pilot Study Evaluating the Effect of Frankincense Essential Oil in Patients With Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy

Abstract

Background 

Increasingly, patients with cancer are using essential oils as a complementary therapy to reduce the adverse effects of cancer treatment, such as fatigue. Although essential oils have few adverse effects, little is known about the effectiveness of individual oils for specific symptoms. Frankincense is one such oil that has been identified as a possible supportive therapy for cancer-related fatigue.

Objective 

The aim of this study was to determine if frankincense applied to the soles of the feet before, during, and after chemotherapy affects patients’ perceptions of chemotherapy-related fatigue compared with control (carrier oil without frankincense).

Methods 

Randomized clinical trial in which participants were blinded to treatment condition. The main outcome variable was fatigue.

Results 

Seventy patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer were randomized to apply frankincense or control oil to their feet twice a day 2 days before receiving chemotherapy, while receiving chemotherapy, and 2 days after chemotherapy. No statistically significant changes in fatigue were found over time or between groups. Baseline fatigue was the only predictor of posttreatment fatigue.

Conclusions 

Although no statistically significant changes in fatigue were found over time or between groups, important insights were gained that can inform the design of future research.

Implications for Practice 

The use of essential oils as a complementary therapy to reduce adverse effects of cancer treatment is gaining popularity, and nurses may receive questions about the use of essential oils. No evidence to support the use of frankincense in the treatment of fatigue in patients receiving chemotherapy was found in this study.