title: Effect of Processed Honey and Royal Jelly on Cancer-Related Fatigue: A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is experienced by 50% to 90% of cancer patients and can severely affect their quality of life and functional capacity. Several randomized trials have recommended various ways to alleviate the symptoms of CRF with or without recourse to medications.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of processed honey and royal jelly on the symptoms of CRF in cancer patients who are undergoing hormone therapy, chemotherapy, chemo-radiation, or radiotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two participants from the patients who visited the oncology clinic of Shohada-e-Tajrish hospital in Tehran (Iran) between May 2013 and August 2014 were selected and divided into two groups. The study group (26 patients) received processed honey and royal jelly, while the control group received pure honey. Both groups were instructed to consume their 5mL supplement twice daily for 4 weeks. Both groups were assessed at the beginning of the study, after 2 weeks, and then at the end of 4 weeks of treatment. Fatigue was measured using a visual analogue fatigue scale (VAFS) and fatigue severity scale (FSS). The results were compared between the two arms of study, and equality of probability distributions was assessed using a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the 52 patients was 54.84. After two and four weeks of treatment with processed honey and royal jelly, VAFS and FSS due to treatment was better in the study group than in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (p<0.001, p<0.001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the best of our knowledge, our study provided support for the use of processed honey and royal jelly to ameliorate CRF. The positive results of this study warrant further studies in this field.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The study was registered in the Iranian Clinical Trial Registry Center (http://www.irct.ir) with the registration code: IRCT2015081423426N1.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
authors: Associate Professor, Shohada-e-Tajrish Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Bahram
authors: B
authors: Mofid
authors: M.D, Ph.D. of Traditional Persian Medicine, Assistant Professor, Department of Traditional Persian Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Hossein
authors: H
authors: Rezaeizadeh
authors: M.D, Radiation Oncologist, Shohada-e-Tajrish Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Abdulkarim
authors: A
authors: Termos
authors: Associate Professor, Shohada-e-Tajrish Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Afshin
authors: A
authors: Rakhsha
authors: M.D, M.Sc., Radiation Oncologist, Shohada-e-Tajrish Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Ahmad Rezazadeh
authors: AR
authors: Mafi
authors: M.D, Radiation Oncologist, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Taiebeh
authors: T
authors: Taheripanah
authors: Pharm. D, Ph.D. of Traditional Persian Medicine, Assistant Professor, Department of Traditional Persian Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Mehran Mirabzadeh
authors: MM
authors: Ardakani
authors: M.D, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Specialist, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Seyed Mohammad Esmaeil
authors: SM
authors: Taghavi
authors: M.D, M.P.H, Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
authors: Seyyed Alireza
authors: SA
authors: Moravveji
authors: Associate Professor, Shohada-e-Tajrish Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Amir Shahram Yousefi
authors: AS
authors: Kashi
keywords: Cancer; Fatigue; Royal jelly