Omega-3 in the Subjective Betterment of Mood and Sleep Disturbances Induced by Hormone Therapy in Women with Breast Cancer: A Pilot, Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Background This study was performed to investigate the effect of omega-3 administration on the treatment of mood and sleep problem induced by menopausal complications due to hormone therapy in patients with breast cancer. Methods and Patients A pilot, randomized, double-blinded and placebo-controlled clinical trial was designed in oncology-hematology outpatient’s clinic of Omid Hospital, Isfahan, Iran. First, 60 patients were screened by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for any non-identified baseline mood problems and then divided into either intervention group which received 2 g’ omega-3 daily for 4 weeks or placebo group which received identical supplement. Then, the patients were considered to assess by center for epidemiological studies—depression scale (CES-D), profile of mood states (POMS), and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) questionnaires at the baseline and after 4-week follow-up. Results The mean scores of CES-D ( P = 0.002), POMS ( P = 0.03), and PSQI ( P = 0.04) were significantly lower in the intervention group than the control group. In the intervention group, mean scores of CES-D ( P