Aromatherapy Plus Music Therapy Improve Pain Intensity and Anxiety Scores in Patients With Breast Cancer During Perioperative Periods: A Randomized Controlled Trial

We conducted a randomized trial comprising 160 patients to assess whether aromatherapy or/plus music therapy improved anxiety levels and pain intensity in breast cancer surgery patients. Combination therapy achieved greater pain improvement and anxiety reduction in patients with breast cancer during perioperative periods than monotherapy, which suggests that combination therapy is an acceptable complementary and alternative medicine. Introduction: To investigate the effect of perioperative aromatherapy (AT) or/plus music therapy (MT) on pain and anxiety level, and the potential mechanism in women experiencing breast cancer surgery. Methods: A total of 160 patients with breast cancer were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to receive usual care (UC), AT, MT, or combination therapy (CT) during perioperative periods. Pain intensity and anxiety scores were measured by visual analog scale. Interleukin (IL)-6 and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB-1) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: There was a significant group effect on pain, anxiety, and IL-6 and HMGB-1 levels, with the greatest improvement occurring in the CT group (P < .001). Compared with the UC group, the AT and MT groups had lower mean changes of pain intensity and IL-6 and HMGB-1 levels, and greater anxiety reduction (P < .001). However, the differences between the AT and MT groups did not reach significance (P > .05). Conclusion: In patients with breast cancer, perioperative CT achieves greater pain improvement and anxiety reduction and less marked increase in IL-6 and HMGB-1 levels. These results suggest that CT is an acceptable complementary and alternative medicine for breast cancer patients.