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Not yet recruitingNCT07318779Updated Jan 6, 2026

Effect of Cardamom and Peppermint Oils on Chemotherapy-Related Nausea-Vomiting and Food Intake

An interventional study of Peppermint Oil and cardomom oil in Cancer, sponsored by Semanur Bilgiç. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-01-06.

Sponsored by Semanur Bilgiç · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was expected by Jun 2026, 4 months ago, but the record still lists the study as not yet recruiting.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
39
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of inhaled cardamom oil on chemotherapy-related nausea, vomiting, and food intake and to compare these effects with those of inhaled peppermint oil.

Read the detailed description

Chemotherapy is an effective treatment method used to control cancer systemically by destroying cancer cells or controlling their growth. This treatment inhibits nucleic acid synthesis, thereby preventing DNA and RNA synthesis, and has both cytotoxic and anticancer properties. However, chemotherapy also affects rapidly dividing cells, leading to undesirable side effects. Among these, nausea and vomiting are common and quality-of-life-reducing side effects that affect approximately 80% of patients undergoing chemotherapy.

The pathophysiology of nausea and vomiting is based on mechanisms such as the stimulation of the vomiting center and the chemoreceptor trigger zone, as well as the stimulation of enterochromaffin cells and vagal afferent neurons. Failure to manage these symptoms can lead to serious problems such as malnutrition, dehydration, anorexia, and fluid-electrolyte imbalance. Therefore, antiemetic drugs and various integrative methods (acupuncture, acupressure, behavioral interventions, music therapy, relaxation exercises, hypnotherapy, and aromatherapy) are used to manage nausea and vomiting.

Aromatherapy with various essential oils such as peppermint, ginger, rose, cardamom, lavender, and chamomile has been found to be effective in preventing nausea and vomiting. The effect of peppermint oil on chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting is well-documented; however, research on cardamom oil is limited. There are few studies in the literature evaluating the effect of cardamom oil on these symptoms. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of inhaled cardamom oil on chemotherapy-related nausea, vomiting, and food intake and to compare these effects with those of inhaled peppermint oil.

02

Conditions studied

  • Cancer

Keywords

  • Aromatherapy
  • Chemotherapy
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Food Intake
03

In context

Neoplasms

10,818 studies on the registry are indexed under Neoplasms; 2,324 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 39 is below the median of 60 across 7,703 interventional studies indexed under Neoplasms.

Browse Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

This is the only study on the registry with Semanur Bilgiç as lead sponsor.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Volunteered to participate in the study,
  • Received at least one cycle and are continuing to receive either Adriamycin-cyclophosphamide or Adriamycin-cyclophosphamide-fluorouracil chemotherapy protocols,
  • Have an intact sense of smell.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Under 18 years of age,
  • Have neurocognitive impairment and are unable to answer the questionnaire,
  • Have a condition that may trigger nausea and vomiting, such as vertigo or motion sickness,
  • Have a chronic respiratory disease (with a history of asthma or other reactive airway diseases),
  • Have a known history of allergies,
  • Have a history of prolonged or excessive alcohol use,
  • Use any scented products during the intervention period,
  • Receive other complementary therapies for nausea and vomiting.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
39 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    peppermint oil

    Thirty minutes before the chemotherapy session begins, one drop of essential oil will be applied to a piece of gauze. The gauze will then be attached to the patient's collar with a safety pin, positioned 20 cm away from the patient's nose. This procedure will be performed three times a day for five consecutive days.

    Other: Peppermint Oil

  • Active comparator
    cardamom oil

    Thirty minutes before the chemotherapy session begins, one drop of essential oil will be applied to a piece of gauze. The gauze will then be attached to the patient's collar with a safety pin, positioned 20 cm away from the patient's nose. This procedure will be performed three times a day for five consecutive days.

    Other: cardomom oil

  • Sham comparator
    sweet almond oil

    Thirty minutes before the chemotherapy session begins, one drop of essential oil will be applied to a piece of gauze. The gauze will then be attached to the patient's collar with a safety pin, positioned 20 cm away from the patient's nose. This procedure will be performed three times a day for five consecutive days.

    Other: sweet almond oil

Interventions

  • OtherPeppermint Oil

    Thirty minutes before the chemotherapy session begins, one drop of essential oil will be applied to a piece of gauze. The gauze will then be attached to the patient's collar with a safety pin, positioned 20 cm away from the patient's nose. This procedure will be performed three times a day for five consecutive days.

  • Othercardomom oil

    Thirty minutes before the chemotherapy session begins, one drop of essential oil will be applied to a piece of gauze. The gauze will then be attached to the patient's collar with a safety pin, positioned 20 cm away from the patient's nose. This procedure will be performed three times a day for five consecutive days.

  • Othersweet almond oil

    Thirty minutes before the chemotherapy session begins, one drop of essential oil will be applied to a piece of gauze. The gauze will then be attached to the patient's collar with a safety pin, positioned 20 cm away from the patient's nose. This procedure will be performed three times a day for five consecutive days.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Chemotherapy-Related Nausea-Vomiting and Retching

    The Rhodes Index of Nausea, Vomiting and Retching (INVR) was developed by Rhodes and McDaniel in 1999 to assess nausea, vomiting, retching, and related distress experienced within the last 12 hours, particularly after chemotherapy. The scale consists of 8 items rated on a Likert-type scale, where 0 indicates minimal distress and 4 indicates severe distress. Items 1, 3, 6, and 7 are reverse-scored. The INVR includes three subdimensions: symptom experience, symptom occurrence, and symptom distress. The original scale demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.98; subscales = 0.83-0.99).

    Time frame: five consecutive days.

  2. Food Intake

    Food Consumption Form: The 24-hour dietary recall method is used to record food intake. In this study, patients record all foods and beverages consumed over five consecutive days. Portions are documented using household measures such as cups, glasses, mugs, and spoons.

    Time frame: five consecutive days.

  3. Chemotherapy-Related Nausea

    Visual Analog Scale (VAS): The severity of nausea will be assessed using a 100-mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS), where the left end represents "no nausea" and the right end represents "severe nausea." A score \<5 mm is defined as no nausea, and a 10-mm difference is typically considered clinically significant.

    Time frame: five consecutive days.

  4. Food Frequency Form

    This form identifies the food groups consumed by the patient over the five-day period. It verifies the information recorded in the food consumption form and provides insight into the patient's dietary patterns. The food frequency method is commonly used to assess relationships between diet and disease risk.

    Time frame: five consecutive days.

  5. Anthropometric Measurements1

    Body mass index (BMI) is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared (kg/height²).

    Time frame: Measurements will be taken twice, on the first and fifth days.

  6. Anthropometric Measurements2

    Skinfold thickness measurements are taken using calipers and are used to rank individuals in terms of relative total "fatness" or to assess subcutaneous fat in various areas of the body.

    Time frame: Measurements will be taken twice, on the first and fifth days.

  7. Anthropometric Measurements3

    waist and hip circumference: Using a tape measure, measure around the narrowest part of the waist, just above the belly button. This is the waist circumference. Measure around the widest part of the hips. This is the hip circumference.

    Time frame: Measurements will be taken twice, on the first and fifth days.

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Eskişehir City Hospital
    Eskişehir, Turkey (Türkiye)
08

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Start is estimated for Jan 2026; primary completion for Jun 2026, 5 months later.

Of 1,981 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Neoplasms, half reached primary completion within 29 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 13 and three quarters within 52. This study's planned 5 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 2,056 studies reached it within 29 months; a quarter within 13 and three quarters within 52.

Neoplasms covers many different conditions, not one, so the studies compared here vary widely. Read these figures as a rough guide.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Nov 19, 2025
First posted
Jan 6, 2026
StartEst.
Jan 1, 2026
Primary completionEst.
Jun 30, 2026
CompletionEst.
Nov 1, 2026
Last update
Jan 6, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jan 6, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07318779
Lead sponsor
Semanur Bilgiç
Responsible party
Semanur Bilgiç (Research Assistant, Bilecik Seyh Edebali Universitesi) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Jan 6, 2026
Start date
Jan 1, 2026 (estimated)
Primary completion
Jun 30, 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Nov 1, 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Jan 6, 2026

Study contacts

Semanur Bilgiç, Research Asisstant
Contact
semanurblgc@gmail.com
+905395966328

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Dec 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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