Aromatherapy Inhaler Use for HSCT Distress

August 10, 2026 updated by: Stanford University

Aromatherapy Inhaler Use for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patient Distress

This randomized controlled trial will evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of an inhaled aromatherapy stick for patients during the acute inpatient phase after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) . The study will also explore whether aromatherapy use is associated with short-term changes in patient-reported cancer-related distress and coping self-efficacy.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) commonly experience high levels of distress and other symptoms during the acute inpatient period. Inhaled aromatherapy is a low-burden, patient-directed supportive care strategy that may be feasible to deliver during hospitalization. This randomized, parallel-group study will evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of an aromatherapy inhaler ("aromatherapy stick") during the early post-transplant inpatient period and will explore short-term changes in patient-reported outcomes.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
50

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • Stanford, California, United States, 94305
        • Recruiting
        • Stanford University
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Anna Oh, PhD, MPH, RN
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

19 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Autologous and Allogeneic patients admitted to E1 for planned HSCT
  • Patients with hematologic malignancies requiring HSCT
  • No allergies to lavender or peppermint essential oils
  • Must have received chemotherapy during preparative regimen (single or multi-agent regimen)
  • Adult patient over 18 years of age
  • Able to speak, read, and comprehend English
  • Willing and capable of providing informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients admitted for Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell (CART) infusion
  • Patients receiving a transplant for a germ cell tumor diagnosis
  • Unexpected/unplanned admission (e.g., neutropenic fever, confusion, clinical deterioration)
  • Immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) grade 1 through 4
  • History of scleroderma
  • History of atrial fibrillation
  • Known history of G6PD deficiency
  • Allergic to lavender or peppermint essential oils
  • Pediatric patient 18 years of age or less
  • Unable to speak, read, and comprehend English
  • Unwilling or incapable of providing informed consent

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Usual Care
Participants receive standard supportive care during hospitalization. No aromatherapy stick is provided.
Other: Standard of Care
Participants receive standard inpatient supportive care during the acute post-HCT period. No aromatherapy inhaler is provided.
Experimental: Aromatherapy + Usual Care
Participants receive standard supportive care plus aromatherapy inhaler education and an aromatherapy stick for self-administered inhalation. Aromatherapy use occurs on the assigned Inhaler Use Day (targeted for Transplant Day +1, +2, or +3). Use is tracked with an inhaler use log. The aromatherapy "dose" is standardized by a maximum total exposure time (up to 2 hours total), while allowing participants to choose how to distribute use.
Other: Aromatherapy Stick
Participants receive aromatherapy inhaler education and an aromatherapy stick for self-administered inhalation during the early post-transplant inpatient period. Aromatherapy use occurs on the assigned Inhaler Use Day (targeted for Transplant Day +1, +2, or +3) and is documented using an inhaler use log. Total exposure is limited to a maximum of 2 hours.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in cancer distress (NCCN Distress Thermometer)
Time Frame: Baseline: SOC/Inhaler Use Day (Transplant Day +1, +2, or +3); Follow-up: Study Completion Day (Transplant Day +2, +3, or +4)
Change in NCCN Distress Thermometer score (0-10 visual analog scale). Calculated as follow-up score minus baseline score.
Baseline: SOC/Inhaler Use Day (Transplant Day +1, +2, or +3); Follow-up: Study Completion Day (Transplant Day +2, +3, or +4)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in cancer coping self-efficacy (Cancer Behavior Inventory-Brief Form, modified)
Time Frame: Baseline: SOC/Inhaler Use Day (Transplant Day +1, +2, or +3); Follow-up: Study Completion Day (Transplant Day +2, +3, or +4)
Change in Cancer Behavior Inventory (Brief Form; modified) total score (Likert-type confidence ratings). Calculated as follow-up score minus baseline score.
Baseline: SOC/Inhaler Use Day (Transplant Day +1, +2, or +3); Follow-up: Study Completion Day (Transplant Day +2, +3, or +4)
Aromatherapy Inhaler Use Log (Inhaler Use Log)
Time Frame: 1 day (Inhaler Use Day)
Number of aromatherapy inhalations recorded by participants on a paper log during the Inhaler Use Day.
1 day (Inhaler Use Day)
Aromatherapy experience (Final Evaluation of Aromatherapy)
Time Frame: Study Completion Day (Transplant Day +4, +5, or +6)
Participant-rated aromatherapy experience using a 5-item Likert-type scale (1 = Terrible, 5 = Neutral, 10 = Exceptional). (Group B only.)
Study Completion Day (Transplant Day +4, +5, or +6)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Stanford University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Anna Oh, PhD, MPH, RN, Stanford University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 16, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 21, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 21, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 31, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 12, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 10, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IRB-65140
  • NCI-2026-02783 (Registry Identifier: National Cancer Institute Clinical Trials Reporting Program)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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