Clinical Trials
Several therapies exist for treatment of cancer aside from the traditional treatments of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapies. While these will likely offer the most medicinal benefits to patients of cancers, such as mesothelioma, many will choose to augment tradition forms of treatment with therapies that allow them to feel more comfortable and relaxed. Among this variety of therapy, is aromatherapy. While aromatherapy may not be for everyone, it certainly has value if it allows some patients to feel less anxiety. Aromatherapy is just one of many therapies that while they offer no cure for the underlying disease, they can make a disease much more manageable for some patients.
What is aromatherapy? Aromatherapy is therapy that engages the sensory stimulus of scent to produce a relaxing atmosphere for the person. Using certain essential oils from flowers, herbs, and trees, aromatherapy creates a general essence of calm. The theory is such that the senses are incredibly important to perceived levels of anxiety and unrest. Relaxation is possible by engaging these senses in controlled ways, such as creating a general odor of relaxation. The sense of odor is incredibly active in making connections with the brain. Certain scents trigger instant memories and thoughts, and in the case of aromatherapy the hope is that these scents trigger pleasantries throughout the brain and body.
Often aromatherapy will be coupled with massage therapy to create a whole-body sense of relaxation, which is valuable to well being in any person, but could be especially helpful for cancer patients. Some trials have shown a decrease in chemotherapy symptoms such as fatigue and nausea through the use of aromatherapy, though these trials were not clinical in nature.
It is important to remember with all alternative therapies that many of these are strictly based upon personal preference, especially those which involve relaxation. It is however, important to maintain a dialogue with your physician regarding alternative therapies you may be using, as some could have adverse effects on traditional treatments for cancer patients. As a rule, it can only help to be open to alternative therapies, but be conscious that are not sabotaging traditional medicinal regimens.
