Melatonin improves sleep quality in patients with primary breast cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 40 patients with stage I-III breast cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy were given 6 mg/day melatonin for 6 months. Melatonin significantly improved sleep latency (from 1.50 to 1.00, P=0.001), sleep efficiency (from 1.11 to 0.56, P=0.003), and total PSQI scores (from 8.39 to 6.50, P=0.003) compared to placebo across the three phases of chemotherapy. No significant differences were observed during the Adriamycin phase, but during the Taxol phase, melatonin showed significant improvement in anxiety (P=0.077) and overall PSQI scores (P=0.015).
Evidence Score
Study Evidence
Study 1. The Effect of Melatonin on Sleep Quality, Anxiety, and Depression in Patients with Primary Breast Cancer Undergoing Adjuvant Chemotherapy Type: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.
observationalSeddighShamsi M, Esfandbod M, Jalali S, Etesam F, Jahangard Rafsanjani Z, Ghorani V, Heidarian Miri H, Rajabian A, Toogeh G, Saeidinejat S · Cancer investigation (2026)
Result:
Mechanism Graph
Limitations
- ⚠Small sample size (n=40)
- ⚠Single-center study, limiting generalizability
- ⚠No significant effect during Adriamycin phase, suggesting phase-specific effects
- ⚠Anxiety improvement during Taxol phase had borderline significance (P=0.077)
Frequently Asked Questions
What dose of melatonin was used in this study?▼
The intervention group received 6 mg/day of melatonin for 6 months.
Did melatonin improve sleep quality in breast cancer patients?▼
Yes, melatonin significantly improved sleep latency, sleep efficiency, and overall PSQI scores compared to placebo across the three phases of chemotherapy.
Did melatonin affect anxiety or depression?▼
Melatonin showed a statistically significant improvement in anxiety levels during the Taxol phase (P=0.077), but no significant effect on depression was reported.
Were there any differences between chemotherapy phases?▼
No significant improvements were observed during the Adriamycin phase, but significant improvements were seen during the Taxol phase for anxiety and overall PSQI scores.
Products
Affiliate links coming soon. We only recommend products that match the doses and forms used in the cited research.
References
- 1.SeddighShamsi M, Esfandbod M, Jalali S, Etesam F, Jahangard Rafsanjani Z, Ghorani V, Heidarian Miri H, Rajabian A, Toogeh G, Saeidinejat S. "The Effect of Melatonin on Sleep Quality, Anxiety, and Depression in Patients with Primary Breast Cancer Undergoing Adjuvant Chemotherapy Type: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.." Cancer investigation, 2026. PMID: 42533530 DOI: 10.1080/07357907.2025.2563202