Lavender scent may ease anxiety during skin cancer surgery
NCT ID NCT06167096
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether smelling lavender essential oil during Mohs surgery for skin cancer can reduce patient anxiety and mask unpleasant odors. 89 adults having surgery on their head or neck took part. Researchers measured anxiety using standard questionnaires and asked about smell perception. The goal is to find a simple, non-drug way to improve patient comfort.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Lavender essential oil
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, drug-free way to help patients feel calmer during skin cancer surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study. The effect may be small or due to the relaxing setting, not the lavender itself. People with allergies or smell issues were excluded.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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89 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jul 2024
- Finished
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Apr 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * At least 18 years of age * No previous Mohs surgeries * Currently seen in UH(University Hospitals)Westlake Dermatology Clinic for Mohs surgery * Mohs surgery of the head and neck Exclusion Criteria: * Participants with lavender allergies * Participants with aroma sensitivities * Participants with anosmia * Participants with cold or flu symptoms
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Seidman Cancer Center, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
Cleveland, Ohio, 44106-5065, United States
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