Background: The nonpharmacological methods with antiemetic agents can reduce the chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. The purpose was to determine the effect of cardamom aromas on the chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in cancer patients.

Methods: This study was done on 66 cancer patients reported chemotherapy-induced nausea in the hospital and clinic, 2013. The patients were divided randomly into the cardamom or placebo groups. After formally consent, patients were asked to take three deeply breaths of the distilled water or oil-cardamom pads, twice with five-minute intervals. The patients’ nausea intensity measured before intervention, after first 3-breaths and second 3-breaths. Frequencies of nausea, retching and vomiting were evaluated in the acute phase of chemotherapy after interventions. The effects of the placebo or cardamom inhalations according to the patients’ gender and the extent of the emetogenicity of chemotherapy agents were also studied. Results: Both groups were equal in their demographic attributions and the severity of nausea at baseline. The severity of nausea was significantly lower in the cardamom patients than the placebo ones at the end of the interventions (p<0.01). The frequencies of the patients’ nausea, retching and vomiting were the same in both groups in the acute phase. There were no differences between the groups’ nausea, retching and vomiting in terms of the patients’ gender and the extent of the emetogenicity of chemotherapy agents. Conclusion: The essential oil of cardamom inhalation aromatherapy is recommended in decreasing the chemotherapy-induced nausea severity in cancer patients.