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Evaluating Ma-ol-asal Syrup for Chemotherapy-induced Fatigue in Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients: A Randomized
Ata Amani1, Bayazid Ghaderi2, Mehdi Pasalar3
1Traditional Medicine and Materia Medica Research Center and Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Background:
Chemotherapy-induced fatigue (CIF) is a common and debilitating side effect in cancer patients, particularly those with gastrointestinal cancers. This study explores the potential of Ma-ol-asal, a traditional Persian herbal syrup, as a holistic, supportive approach to alleviate CIF's physical and psychological burdens.
Materials And Methods:
This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involved 120 gastrointestinal cancer patients with fatigue, randomly assigned to receive 10 mL of Ma-ol-asal (compound honey syrup) or placebo thrice daily for four weeks. Fatigue was assessed with validated scales at baseline and post-intervention once, with data analyzed to evaluate efficacy.
Results:
After withdrawals, 42 patients per group remained. No significant demographic or lab differences were observed. Both groups had comparable scores post-treatment across all measures, with no significant differences. Adverse events, mainly nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, were similar. Perception of benefit varied between groups.
Conclusion:
Our study shows Ma-ol-asal syrup isn't superior to placebo for chemotherapy-induced fatigue, highlighting significant placebo effects. This emphasizes the need to understand harnessing placebo responses to improve symptom management safely.
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