The Truth About Cancer and Essential Oils

Aromatherapy can help you when cancer treatment makes it hard to live a normal life. It is an alternative healing practice used to lower anxiety and chronic stress, which can otherwise nourish a cancer cell and weaken our body’s ability to fight them. Essential oils for cancer improve quality of life in cancer patients. They affect moods and emotions by sending signals to the brain.

Early studies show essential oil aroma molecules can also enter the bloodstream through the skin, like a drug, and kill cancer cells or slow down their growth. More research has to be done in the area. Meanwhile, you can use aromatherapy safely used without fear of side effects. 

How Are Essential Oils for Cancer Used?

Volatile essential oils are sold as concentrated extracts from plants. These are a few common ways of administering essential oils for cancer. The oils may be inhaled directly, to treat a sinus headache, for instance. Or they can be used as drops on a pillow, or in a diffuser. They may be diluted in a carrier oil and massaged into the skin, or combined with lotions, dressings or bath salts.

There are some oils that are particularly promising in coping with specific cancers.

Essential Oils for Skin Cancer Relief

1. Frankincense oil has been found to kill cancer cells on the skin, in the pancreas and bladder. It can be applied as a salve.
2. According to a rare 2011 study on myrrh oil, the resin extract may help kill skin cancer cells. Myrrh oil should be applied with a carrier oil like almond, coconut or jojoba oil.

Essential Oils for Lung Cancer

1. Clary Sage Oil may also help to prevent cancer in those who have a family history of lung cancer.
2. A 2010 Swiss study found thyme oil has stronger action than other essential oils against lung cancer cells.
3. Mint Oil can help manage the side effects of cancer treatment like nausea, vomiting and lack of appetite.

Essential Oils: Breast Cancer

1. Chamomile oil may kill 93% of breast cancer cells and stop cell mutation by sixty to seventy-five percent.
2. Some evidence shows thyme oil kills up to 97% of MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Essential Oils for Liver Cancer

1. Rosemary oil has antioxidant properties that protect the body against toxic free radicals that damage or kill healthy cells and cell membranes. Some studies have found it is especially strong against liver and ovarian cancer.
2. Scientists have found lemon oil and other citrus oils may be able to stop cancer cells from growing in hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer, by increasing the cell concentration of calcium.

Essential Oils for Prostate Cancer

1. The belief is that frankincense oil has strong anti-cancer properties against many cancers, including the prostate.
2. Turmeric oil has anti-inflammatory properties that may kill prostate cancer cells while keeping other cells safe.

The National Cancer Institute suggests essential oils can be used as a part of supportive care complementing standard treatments.

Any patient interested in aromatherapy has a strong system of support and information to turn to when they need it for this holistic healing practice. Pubmed is a good source of information as well. The Publisher View will let you search by publisher, for the PubMed abstract of an essential oils study that you’re interested in reading.