Melatonin may improve sleep, quality of life in patients with breast cancer

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

Melatonin may be a potential therapeutic agent for improve sleep and quality of life in patients with metastatic breast cancer, according to a new study published online ahead of print in the journal Supportive Care in Cancer.

Because fatigue and sleep problems are common among patients with cancer, researchers at the Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre in Toronto, Ontario, sought to investigate the effectiveness of melatonin at improving sleep.

For the phase 2 study, researchers enrolled 32 patients with metastatic breast cancer who were receiving hormonal or trastuzumab therapy. All participants took melatonin 5 mg at bedtime for 2 months.

Results showed that bedtime melatonin was associated with a significant improvement in subjective sleep, fatigue severity, sleep fragmentation and quantity, and quality of life.

The findings suggest that further research assessing the efficacy of melatonin for improving sleep and quality of life in patients with cancer is warranted.