Del Fabbro, E., Dev, R., Hui, D., Palmer, L., & Bruera, E. (2013). Effects of melatonin on appetite and other symptoms in patients with advanced cancer and cachexia: A double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 31, 1271–1276.
To compare melatonin with placebo for impact on appetite in patients with advanced cancer
Patients were randomly assigned to receive 20 mg melatonin or identical placebo daily for 28 days. Study assessments were done at baseline and at four weeks. Patients were stratified according to whether or not they were currently receiving antitumor treatment.
The study was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
There were no significant differences between groups in symptoms or change in symptoms at four weeks. There were no differences in change in body weight or body composition. Thirty-three percent of patients were lost to follow-up.
Melatonin had no effect on appetite or other symptoms in patients with advanced cancer.
Findings of this study do not support the use of melatonin to improve appetite or other symptoms in patients with advanced cancer.