Aromatherapy rehabilitation for chemotherapy-related taste and smell changes
Rehabilitation of Taste and Smell Disorders Associated With Chemotherapy Using Aromatherapy
We will try aromatherapy with essential oils to help cancer patients who have taste or smell changes from chemotherapy.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 104 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Médipôle Lyon-Villeurbanne Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | chemotherapy |
| Locations | 1 site (Villeurbanne) |
| Trial ID | NCT07041710 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This interventional program uses olfactory rehabilitation with selected essential oils delivered in a day-hospital setting to retrain smell and potentially improve taste during chemotherapy. Participants will complete guided odor exposure sessions and fill out standardized taste and smell questionnaires to measure changes over time. The approach adapts olfactory training methods used for post-viral anosmia, applying them to chemotherapy-related sensory alterations. Eligible patients are those actively receiving chemotherapy who report taste or smell disturbances, while patients who have finished chemotherapy are excluded.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults currently receiving chemotherapy who report new or worsening taste or smell disturbances and can attend day-hospital sessions are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Patients who have completed chemotherapy (who are explicitly excluded) or whose sensory changes are due to other irreversible causes may not benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If effective, the approach could restore or improve taste and smell and help patients eat better and feel more like themselves during chemotherapy.
How similar studies have performed: Olfactory training with essential oils has helped some people with post-viral smell loss, but applying it to chemotherapy-related taste and smell disorders is a relatively new and less-tested approach.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * cancer treated with chemotherapy * patient with taste and/or smell disorders Exclusion Criteria: * patient at the end of chemotherapy treatment
Where this trial is running
Villeurbanne
- Médipôle Hôpital Mututaliste — Villeurbanne, France (Recruiting)
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.