A systematic review of the effect of lavender on cancer complications

Despite advances in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, patients still suffer from the various physical and psychological complications of cancer. The aim of this research was to integrate and synthesize relevant scientific evidence about the effect of lavender on cancer complications.

A systematic review of the international literature was undertaken. The search process encompassed four databases of PubMed [including MEDLINE], Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane library without time and language limits. All types of interventional studies examining the effects of lavender on cancer complications were included in data analysis and research synthesis. Relevant data were obtained from eligible studies after quality appraisal using appropriate methodological tools. Given that meta-analysis could not performed, the review findings were synthesized narratively.

Thirteen studies were included in this review with a total of 838 patients. Nine studies used a randomized controlled trial design and the majority of them were conducted on patients with multiple types of cancer. Lavender was often used as inhalation aromatherapy. In the majority of the included studies, lavender was significantly effective in the reduction of anxiety and pain, and improved sleep quality and vital signs.

This review provides scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of lavender in mitigating cancer complications. Healthcare providers are suggested to use lavender in patient care along with other healthcare interventions to relieve cancer complications.