Usage of Aromatherapy in Symptom Management in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review

Background: Several symptoms caused by the disease itself and the treatments that are provided may be observed in cancer patients. It is important to eliminate or minimize these symptoms. Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate usage of aromatherapy practices in cancer patients for symptom management. Methods: For the last 5 years (2014-2019), the keywords "cancer", "pain", "anxiety", "depression", "sleep management", "aromatherapy" and "nausea and vomiting" were searched on the "PUBMED", "CINAHL", "Google Scholar" and "Web of Science" databases, and a total of 72 studies were reached. It was found that twelve of these studies were on usage of aromatherapy in symptom management in cancer patients, and these studies were examined. Conclusion: It was observed in the reviewed studies that aromatherapy practices were utilized as a safe method in symptom management in cancer patients. Whether topically or in form of inhalation, aromatherapy is used in management of patient's pain, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, nausea and vomiting and improvement of their general health status.