Supportive Care in Patients with End-Stage Lung Cancer: Comparing Aromatherapy, Massage, Their Combination, and Usual Care

Patients with end-stage lung cancer often experience pain, anxiety and stress, but evidence comparing supportive care approaches near the end of life is limited.

We retrospectively analysed routine clinical records from 130 patients with end-stage lung cancer. A total of 299 care encounters were classified as aromatherapy, massage, combined aromatherapy and massage, or usual care. Pain, anxiety and stress were scored from 0 to 10 before and after care at three periods before death: 8-12 weeks, 2-4 weeks and the final 7 days.

Combined aromatherapy and massage was associated with the greatest improvements in pain, anxiety, and stress at all three time points. At 8-12 weeks before death, mean improvements with combined care were 1.65 points for pain, 1.55 for anxiety and 1.73 for stress. Massage showed greater pain improvement than aromatherapy, whereas aromatherapy showed similar or slightly greater anxiety improvement. Symptom improvement decreased as death approached. More than 90% of care sessions were completed, with 12 minor adverse events and no serious adverse events reported.

Aromatherapy, massage and especially their combination were associated with immediate symptom improvement. Prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.