Melatonin reduces fatigue during adjuvant treatment in women with early stage or locally advanced breast cancer
In this double-blind randomized prospective trial, women with stage I-III breast cancer (n=74) were randomized to receive either melatonin at a dose of 18mg nightly, or a placebo, starting 1 week before and continuing through 4 weeks after adjuvant therapy (adjuvant treatment consisted of 16 weeks of dose dense AC-T and 5 weeks of radiation). Thirty-seven women were included in each group. Menopausal status was not given.
At the completion of the trial, fatigue was significantly lower in women who received melatonin (p<0.001) and the incidence of severe fatigue was also significantly lower, 42% in the melatonin group compared to 83% in the placebo group (p<0.001).
This study did not assess impact on sleep (or on other treatment-related side effects), so it is unclear if these effects may have been related to sleep quality itself or if they occur independent of that. Nonetheless, these results agree with previous studies (Palmer et al 2020, Semiglazova et al 2019) finding an impact of melatonin supplements on energy levels in women undergoing adjuvant or neoadjuvant breast cancer treatment.
Citation:
Sedighi Pashaki, A., Mohammadian, K., Afshar, S., Gholami, M. H., Moradi, A., Javadinia, S. A., & Keshtpour Amlashi, Z. (2021). A Randomized, Controlled, Parallel-Group, Trial on the Effects of Melatonin on Fatigue Associated with Breast Cancer and Its Adjuvant Treatments. Integrative cancer therapies, 20, 1534735420988343.
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