THE EFFECT OF AROMATHERAPY FOOT BATHS ON CANCER PATIENTS

NCT07721168 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2026-02/77
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 70
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

The goal of this randomised clinical trial is to evaluate the effects of aromatherapy-infused foot baths on pain, sleep quality, and fatigue in cancer patients. The main question\[s\] it aims to answer are:

• Is an aromatherapy foot bath effective in reducing pain in cancer patients?
• Is an aromatherapy foot bath effective in improving sleep quality in cancer patients?
• Is an aromatherapy foot bath effective in reducing fatigue in cancer patients? The experimental group will receive a total of 5 sessions of aromatherapy foot baths, each lasting 20 minutes per day for 5 days, administered by the researcher. The control group will receive only routine care without any treatment. Before and after all treatments are completed, participants will be given and asked to complete the Hirai Cancer Fatigue Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Numerical Pain Scale. The pain, fatigue, and sleep quality scores of the experimental and control groups will then be compared.

Conditions

Patients Diagnosed With Cancer

Keywords

Aromatherapy; Foot bath; Pain; Fatigue; Sleep quality

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Hirai Cancer Fatigue Scale

  The scale has a minimum score of 15 and a maximum score of 75. Higher scores indicate increased fatigue, while lower scores indicate decreased fatigue.

  Baseline and day 5

• Numerical Pain Scale

  Participants will be asked to rate the intensity of their pain on a scale of 0 (no pain) to 10 (most severe pain). A higher score indicates increasing pain.

  Baseline and day 5

• Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index

  The total score ranges from 0 to 21. A total score higher than 5 indicates poor sleep quality.

  Baseline and day 5

Study Arms (2)

Aromatherapy Group

EXPERIMENTAL

The experimental group will receive a foot bath treatment containing aromatherapy.

Other: Aromatherapy

Standard Care Group

NO INTERVENTION

The control group will not receive a foot bath containing aromatherapy. They will only receive the routine care provided in the service.

Interventions

Aromatherapy OTHER

The experimental group will receive a foot bath treatment containing aromatherapy for 5 days administered by the researcher. A foot bath device will be used. Lavender essential oil will be added to the water as aromatherapy. Then, the researcher will administer a foot bath to the patient using this water.

Aromatherapy Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Patients over 18 years of age,
• Conscious (Glasgow coma scale: 15 points)
• No diagnosis of mental illness
• No respiratory distress
• No diagnosis of respiratory system disorder
• Patients who agree to participate in the study

You may not qualify if:

• Patients under 18 years of age,
• Patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale score below 15 points,
• Patients with a diagnosis of mental illness,
• Patients with respiratory distress,
• Patients with a diagnosis of respiratory system disease,
• Patients with hemiplegia or paraplegia,
• Patients who refused to participate in the study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ankara Yildirim Beyazıt University: lead

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pain; Fatigue; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

Interventions

Aromatherapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic; Dyssomnias; Sleep Wake Disorders; Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mind-Body Therapies; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Phytotherapy; Sensory Art Therapies; Psychotherapy; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities

Study Officials

• Semra Gündoğdu

  Ankara Yildirim Beyazıt University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Erdal Ceylan

  Ankara Yildirim Beyazıt University

  STUDY DIRECTOR

• Ahmet Özgen Yıldırım

  Ankara Etlik City Hospital

  STUDY CHAIR

Central Study Contacts

Erdal Ceylan

CONTACT

+905362323599; erdalceylan@aybu.edu.tr

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Nurse

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 14, 2026
• First Posted: July 22, 2026
• Study Start: August 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Last Updated: July 22, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share