Using Traditional Acupuncture for Breast Cancer-Related Hot Flashes and Night Sweats

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. 1047-1057 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beverley A. de Valois ◽  
Teresa E. Young ◽  
Nicola Robinson ◽  
Christine McCourt ◽  
Elizabeth J. Maher
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Hot Flashes ◽  
Night Sweats

NADA Ear Acupuncture for Breast Cancer Treatment–Related Hot Flashes and Night Sweats: An Observational Study

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 256-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beverley de Valois ◽  
Teresa E. Young ◽  
Nicola Robinson ◽  
Christine McCourt ◽  
Elizabeth Jane Maher
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Hot Flashes ◽  
Breast Cancer Treatment ◽  
Ear Acupuncture ◽  
Night Sweats

In case of anastrozole-related hallucinations, can switching to letrozole be a treatment option? A case report and literature review

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 754-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yakup Bozkaya ◽  
Gökmen Umut Erdem ◽  
Nebi Serkan Demirci
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Aromatase Inhibitor ◽  
Treatment Option ◽  
Hot Flashes ◽  
Metastatic Breast ◽  
Significant Finding ◽  
Mineral Density ◽  
Letrozole Treatment ◽  
Night Sweats

Arthralgia, myalgia, paresthesia, reduced bone mineral density, vasomotor side effects including hot flashes and night sweats, genitourinary symptoms including decreased libido, vaginal dryness and dyspareunia are common side effects of aromatase inhibitors. Unlike the common side effects, the information on neurological side effects like hallucination of aromatase inhibitor was limited in literature cases. Herein, we reported a case of hallucination related to anastrozole in a patient with metastatic breast cancer. A 62-year-old female patient with breast cancer developed repetitive hallucinations on the following days of anastrozole initiation. There was no other significant finding in the differential diagnosis of hallucination. Neurological symptoms disappeared after termination of anastrozole. The patient had no neuropsychiatric complaints during letrozole treatment. We aimed to emphasize that neurological side effect like hallucination may rarely occur during the treatment of anastrozole and in case of aromatase inhibitor-related hallucinations, switching to another aromatase inhibitor (letrozole) can be a treatment option.

Tamoxifen, hot flashes, and breast cancer recurrence: Support for pharmacogenetics

2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 500-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Mortimer ◽  
S. Flatt ◽  
B. Parker ◽  
E. Gold ◽  
J. P. Pierce
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Proportional Hazards ◽  
Proportional Hazards Model ◽  
Hot Flashes ◽  
Tumor Stage ◽  
Cox Proportional Hazards ◽  
Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽  
Adjuvant Tamoxifen ◽  
Hazards Model ◽  
Night Sweats

500 Background: Knowledge of the pharmacogenetics of the CYP2D6 enzyme has been shown to correlate with the efficacy of adjuvant tamoxifen. Women who are ‘extensive metabolizers” of CYP2D6 have an improved relapse free survival and experience more hot flashes than women who have impaired metabolism (Goetz, JCO 2005;23:9312–18). We hypothesized that the development of hot flashes on adjuvant tamoxifen was an indicator of drug metabolism and would correlate with a more favorable outcome than women who did not experience hot flashes. Methods: The WHEL trial enrolled 3,088 breast cancer survivors with stages I (T1c)-IIIA breast cancer, within 2–48 months of initial diagnosis, and age < 75 years to either a dietary intervention (n=1,537) or a control group (n=1,551). Data on the primary tumor, cancer treatment, disease status, and quality of life measures were collected at baseline and annually. Bivariate associations of vasomotor symptoms with age, race/ethnicity, menopausal status, cancer stage, ER and PR status, and time since diagnosis were tested using chi-square tests for categorical and t-tests for continuous variables. A left-truncated Cox proportional hazards model tested the association between recurrence-free survival and hot flashes, adjusting for tumor stage and grade and patient age. Women who died without a new breast cancer event were censored at their date of death; those without a new breast cancer event were censored at December 1, 2006 or the date of their most recent self-report of their breast cancer status. Results: The study sample includes 864 women treated with adjuvant tamoxifen 78% who reported hot flashes, and 69% of those reporting hot flashes also reported night sweats; 4% reported night sweats without hot flashes, and 18% reported neither hot flashes nor night sweats. A delayed entry Cox proportional hazards model adjusting for tumor stage and grade showed that those reporting hot flashes had a hazard ratio of 0.51 of recurrence during the follow-up period (95% CI 0.32–0.79) and that hot flashes were more predictive of outcome for tamoxifen treated patients than were age, grade, hormone receptor status, or stage II cancer. Conclusions: Our results contribute to the data that suggest tamoxifen side effects and efficacy may relate to an individual’s pharmacogenetics. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

scholarly journals Evaluating the role of serotonin in hot flashes after breast cancer using acute tryptophan depletion

2009 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 644-652 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet S. Carpenter ◽  
Menggang Yu ◽  
Jingwei Wu ◽  
Diane Von Ah ◽  
Jennifer Milata ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Hot Flashes ◽  
Acute Tryptophan Depletion ◽  
Tryptophan Depletion

Phase II Trial of Anastrozole Plus Goserelin in the Treatment of Hormone Receptor–Positive, Metastatic Carcinoma of the Breast in Premenopausal Women

2010 ◽  
Vol 28 (25) ◽  
pp. 3917-3921 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert. W. Carlson ◽  
Richard Theriault ◽  
Christine M. Schurman ◽  
Edgardo Rivera ◽  
Cathie T. Chung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Metastatic Breast Cancer ◽  
Antitumor Activity ◽  
Phase Ii ◽  
Hormone Receptor ◽  
Phase Ii Trial ◽  
Hot Flashes ◽  
Metastatic Breast ◽  
Premenopausal Women ◽  
Hormone Receptor Positive

Purpose To explore the antitumor activity of the aromatase inhibitor, anastrozole, in the treatment of premenopausal women with hormone receptor–positive, metastatic breast cancer who have been rendered functionally postmenopausal with the use of the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist, goserelin. Patients and Methods Premenopausal women with estrogen and/or progesterone receptor–positive, metastatic or recurrent breast cancer were enrolled in this prospective, single-arm, multicenter phase II trial. Patients were treated with goserelin 3.6 mg subcutaneous monthly and began anastrozole 1-mg daily 21 days after the first injection of goserelin. Patients continued on treatment until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Results Thirty-five patients were enrolled of which 32 were evaluable for response and toxicity. Estradiol suppression was assessed, with mean estradiol levels of 18.7 pg/mL at 3 months and 14.8 pg/mL at 6 months. One participant (3.1%) experienced a complete response, 11 (34.4%) experienced partial response, and 11 (34.4%) experienced stable disease for 6 months or longer for a clinical benefit rate of 71.9%. Median time to progression was 8.3 months (range, 2.1 to 63+) and median survival was not been reached (range, 11.1 to 63+). The most common adverse events were fatigue (50%), arthralgias (53%), and hot flashes (59%). There were no grade 4 to 5 toxicities. Conclusion The combination of goserelin plus anastrozole has substantial antitumor activity in the treatment of premenopausal women with hormone receptor–positive metastatic breast cancer.

Acupuncture Versus Venlafaxine for the Management of Vasomotor Symptoms in Patients With Hormone Receptor–Positive Breast Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2010 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 634-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanor M. Walker ◽  
Alba I. Rodriguez ◽  
Beth Kohn ◽  
Ronald M. Ball ◽  
Jan Pegg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Hot Flashes ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Acupuncture Group ◽  
Vasomotor Symptoms ◽  
Randomized Controlled

Purpose Vasomotor symptoms are common adverse effects of antiestrogen hormone treatment in conventional breast cancer care. Hormone replacement therapy is contraindicated in patients with breast cancer. Venlafaxine (Effexor), the therapy of choice for these symptoms, has numerous adverse effects. Recent studies suggest acupuncture may be effective in reducing vasomotor symptoms in menopausal women. This randomized controlled trial tested whether acupuncture reduces vasomotor symptoms and produces fewer adverse effects than venlafaxine. Patients and Methods Fifty patients were randomly assigned to receive 12 weeks of acupuncture (n = 25) or venlafaxine (n = 25) treatment. Health outcomes were measured for up to 1 year post-treatment. Results Both groups exhibited significant decreases in hot flashes, depressive symptoms, and other quality-of-life symptoms, including significant improvements in mental health from pre- to post-treatment. These changes were similar in both groups, indicating that acupuncture was as effective as venlafaxine. By 2 weeks post-treatment, the venlafaxine group experienced significant increases in hot flashes, whereas hot flashes in the acupuncture group remained at low levels. The venlafaxine group experienced 18 incidences of adverse effects (eg, nausea, dry mouth, dizziness, anxiety), whereas the acupuncture group experienced no negative adverse effects. Acupuncture had the additional benefit of increased sex drive in some women, and most reported an improvement in their energy, clarity of thought, and sense of well-being. Conclusion Acupuncture appears to be equivalent to drug therapy in these patients. It is a safe, effective and durable treatment for vasomotor symptoms secondary to long-term antiestrogen hormone use in patients with breast cancer.

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