State of the science: hot flashes and cancer. Part 1: definition, scope, impact, physiology, and measurement

Effects of forehead cooling and supportive care on menopause-related sleep difficulties, hot flashes and menopausal symptoms: a pilot study

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND

This pilot study explored the efficacy of a novel forehead cooling device for perceived sleep difficulties and hot flashes in menopausal-age women.

PARTICIPANTS

20 women (55.1 ± 4.2 years; 19 post-menopausal) with insomnia symptoms and self-reported two or more hot flashes per day.

METHODS

Participants completed daily assessments of sleep and hot flashes (via diaries) across 1 baseline week and 4 weeks of open-label, in-home, nightly treatment with a forehead cooling device (15-18°C) along with sleep hygiene instructions. They also completed ratings of insomnia and menopausal symptoms using standardized questionnaires.

RESULTS

Women reported reductions in sleep onset latency (SOL), wakefulness after sleep onset (WASO), and nocturnal hot flash severity during the first week of treatment (SOL: 25.7 ± 18.4 min; WASO: 36.3 ± 27.3 min; hot flash severity: 3.0 ± 2.8) compared with baseline (SOL: 38 ± 26.3 min; WASO: 52.2 ± 35.6 min; hot flash severity: 6.8 ± 3.7), with further improvements after 2-4 weeks of use (p < .001). There were also clinically meaningful reductions in insomnia severity and hot flash-related daily interference and lower psychological and physical symptom scores on the Greene climacteric scale after treatment (all p's<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This exploratory, naturalistic, pilot study shows that nightly use of a forehead cooling device produces improvements in self-reported sleep and reductions in insomnia, hot flash, and other menopausal, symptoms. Controlled studies are warranted to determine the role of this therapy in the management of sleep difficulties and menopausal symptoms in women. Further mechanistic studies are needed to understand the physiological impact of forehead cooling on sleep and menopausal symptoms.

ONS Guidelines™ for Cancer Treatment-Related Hot Flashes in Women With Breast Cancer and Men With Prostate Cancer

PURPOSE

Hot flashes are a common and troublesome side effect of surgery or endocrine therapy. They may lead to physical and psychological distress and negatively affect quality of life. This clinical practice guideline presents evidence-based recommendations for pharmacologic, behavioral, and natural health product interventions for treatment-related hot flashes in patients with breast or prostate cancer.

METHODOLOGIC APPROACH

An interprofessional panel of healthcare professionals with patient representation prioritized clinical questions and patient outcomes for the management of hot flashes. Systematic reviews of the literature were conducted. The GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) approach was used to assess the evidence and make recommendations.

FINDINGS

The panel agreed on 14 pharmacologic, behavioral, and natural health recommendations.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING

Conditional recommendations include the use of antidepressants rather than no treatment, physical activity rather than no treatment, and the avoidance of gabapentin and dietary supplements in the treatment of hot flashes.

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL CAN BE FOUND AT&NBSP;HTTPS

//onf.ons.org/ons-guidelines-hot-flashes-supplementary-material.

Effects of Menopausal Symptoms and Depression on the Quality of Life of Premenopausal Women With Breast Cancer in Korea

INTRODUCTION

As breast cancer survivors have increased, improving quality of life of the survivors becomes an important issue. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among menopausal symptoms, depression, and quality of life and to identify the factors affecting the quality of life in premenopausal women with breast cancer.

METHOD

This was a descriptive, correlational study using structured questionnaires for 90 premenopausal women with breast cancer attending the outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital in Korea.

RESULTS

Menopausal symptoms ( r = -0.770, p < .001) and depression ( r = -0.715, p < .001) negatively affected the participants' quality of life. The major factors affecting quality of life were employment ( t = -2.065, p = .042), depression ( t = -2.375, p = .020), and menopausal symptoms ( t = -3.863, p < .001). Menopausal symptoms were the strongest negative factor (β = -.508) affecting quality of life.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Developing nursing intervention congruent with the culture of Korean breast cancer women with treatment-induced menopausal symptoms is a high priority.

Is anxiety associated with hot flashes in women with breast cancer?

OBJECTIVE

Women with breast cancer are at higher risk for experiencing hot flashes (HFs), which is attributable, in large part, to systemic cancer treatments and their effects on estrogen levels. However, other factors, such as anxiety, could also play a role. This study aimed to assess the cross-sectional and temporal relationships between anxiety and HFs among women treated for breast cancer and to clarify the direction of these relationships.

METHODS

Fifty-six women recently treated for breast cancer were assessed prospectively using a 14-day Hot Flashes and Anxiety Diary (HFAD). Anxiety and HFs were also assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-anxiety subscale and the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire-vasomotor subscale. In addition, HFs were objectively recorded for a continuous 24-hour period using home-based sternal skin conductance.

RESULTS

No cross-sectional relationship was found between anxiety and subjectively assessed HFs, or between anxiety and the frequency and intensity of objectively assessed HFs. However, a greater anxiety level on the HFAD was significantly associated with a shorter time to reach the HF peak, as assessed with sternal skin conductance (partial Spearman correlation coefficient rsp = -0.44). Moreover, greater anxiety predicted more severe self-reported HFs on the following night, both assessed with the HFAD (rsp = 0.13). Conversely, self-reported diurnal and nocturnal HFs on the HFAD did not predict next-day anxiety level.

CONCLUSIONS

This study reveals a significant relationship between anxiety and faster-developing objectively measured HFs. Furthermore, anxiety has been found to significantly predict subsequent increases in self-reported HFs, suggesting that strategies that target anxiety could potentially have a beneficial effect on HFs in women with breast cancer.

Systematic review of acupuncture to control hot flashes in cancer patients

Hot flashes (HFs) are a common side effect of cancer treatment. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate evidence related to the use of acupuncture for HFs in cancer patients. EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane (all databases), PubMed, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Scopus were searched from their inception through December 2014. Included studies had to be randomized controlled trials with a usual-care and/or placebo comparison group that investigated acupuncture to treat HFs in cancer patients. No language limits were applied. The risk of bias (ROB) was rated as low, high, or unclear according to Cochrane criteria. Both within-group and between-group changes were evaluated. Four hundred two items were identified, and 192 duplicates were omitted; this left 210 publications to be screened. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria, and all involved women with breast cancer. All studies showed significant within-group improvement from the baseline for true acupuncture (TA). One study showed significant improvement in favor of TA over sham acupuncture (SA; P < .001), 1 study found in favor of TA over SA for nighttime HFs only (P = .03), and 1 study found in favor of TA over SA or untreated controls (P < .01 and P < .001, respectively). Between-group (TA vs SA) effect size (ES) estimates for daytime and nighttime HFs were calculated (ES range, 0.04-0.9) whenever possible. No studies were rated with a low ROB. In conclusion, the current level of evidence is insufficient to either support or refute the benefits of acupuncture for the management of HFs in cancer patients. Future studies should provide within-group and between-group ES estimates in addition to P values.

Hot Flashes in Relation to Breast Cancer Endocrine Therapy

Women undergoing endocrine therapy for breast cancer often experience hot flashes. As part of a performance improvement project, 14 patients were surveyed to determine who is at risk for hot flashes during endocrine therapy. This information encourages the education of patients, increases compliance with therapy, and improves quality of life.

Magnitude of the impact of hot flashes on sleep in perimenopausal women

OBJECTIVE

To quantify the impact of objectively recorded hot flashes on objective sleep in perimenopausal women.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study. Participants underwent 1-5 laboratory-based polysomnographic recordings for a total of 63 nights, including sternal skin-conductance measures, from which 222 hot flashes were identified according to established criteria. Data were analyzed with hierarchical mixed-effect models and Spearman's rank correlations.

SETTING

Sleep laboratory.

PATIENT(S)

Thirty-four perimenopausal women (age ± SD: 50.4 ± 2.7 years).

INTERVENTION(S)

None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Perceived and polysomnographic sleep measures (sleep quality, amount of time spent awake after sleep onset, and number of awakenings). Subjective (frequency and level of bother) and objective (frequency and amount of hot flash-associated awake time) hot-flash measures.

RESULT(S)

Women had an average of 3.5 (95% confidence interval: 2.8-4.2, range = 1-9) objective hot flashes per night. A total of 69.4% of hot flashes were associated with an awakening. Hot flash-associated time awake per night was, on average, 16.6 minutes (95% confidence interval: 10.8-22.4 minutes), which accounted for 27.2% (SD 27.1) of total awake time per night. Hot flash-associated time awake, but not hot flash frequency, was negatively associated with sleep efficiency and positively associated with waking after sleep onset. In addition, self-reported wakefulness correlated with hot flash-associated waking, suggesting that women's estimates of wakefulness are influenced by the amount of time spent awake in association with hot flashes during the night. Having more perceived and bothersome hot flashes was correlated with more perceived wakefulness and awakenings and more objective hot flash-associated time awake and hot-flash frequency.

CONCLUSION(S)

The presence of physiological hot flashes accounts for a significant proportion of total objective time awake during the night in perimenopausal women.

Relationship between objectively recorded hot flashes and sleep disturbances among breast cancer patients: investigating hot flash characteristics other than frequency

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between various characteristics of objectively recorded hot flashes and sleep disturbances in breast cancer patients.

METHODS

Fifty-six women who had completed a similar treatment protocol for a first diagnosis of breast cancer within the previous 3 months wore ambulatory sternal skin conductance and polysomnography devices for a home-based nighttime recording of hot flashes and sleep.

RESULTS

Hot flash frequency was not associated with polysomnographic variables (r = -0.18 to 0.21) or beta-I and beta-II electroencephalographic activities (r = -0.01 and 0.03) but was significantly correlated with increased slow (r = 0.28) and delta (r = 0.32) electroencephalographic activities. A slower hot flash onset and a longer hot flash duration were associated with greater polysomnographic impairments (r = -0.50 to 0.48). Greater sleep disturbances were found during hot flash onset or hot flash plateau as compared with the pre-hot flash period (greater percentage of wake time, lower percentage of stage II sleep, and lower percentage of rapid eye movement sleep, all P values < 0.05). The probability that a stage change to a lighter sleep occurred was significantly greater during hot flash onset (11%) than during hot flash plateau (6%; P = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that the speed and duration of hot flashes would contribute more importantly to sleep alterations than hot flash frequency. Sleep disturbances tend to occur simultaneously with hot flashes, suggesting that these two nocturnal symptoms are manifestations of a higher-order mechanism involving the central nervous system.

Risk factors, pathophysiology, and treatment of hot flashes in cancer

Hot flashes are prevalent and severe symptoms that can interfere with mood, sleep, and quality of life for women and men with cancer. The purpose of this article is to review existing literature on the risk factors, pathophysiology, and treatment of hot flashes in individuals with cancer. Electronic searches were conducted to identify relevant English-language literature published through June 15, 2012. Results indicated that risk factors for hot flashes in cancer include patient-related factors (eg, age, race/ethnicity, educational level, smoking history, cardiovascular risk including body mass index, and genetics) and disease-related factors (eg, cancer diagnosis and dose/type of treatment). In addition, although the pathophysiology of hot flashes has remained elusive, these symptoms are likely attributable to disruptions in thermoregulation and neurochemicals. Therapies that have been offered or tested fall into 4 broad categories: pharmacological, nutraceutical, surgical, and complementary/behavioral strategies. The evidence base for this broad range of therapies varies, with some treatments not yet having been fully tested or showing equivocal results. The evidence base surrounding all therapies is evaluated to enhance hot flash treatment decision-making by clinicians and patients.

Perceived control and hot flashes in treatment-seeking breast cancer survivors and menopausal women

BACKGROUND

Lower perceived control over hot flashes has been linked to fewer coping strategies, more catastrophizing, and greater hot flash severity and distress in midlife women, yet this important concept has not yet been studied in breast cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to explore perceived control over hot flashes and hot flashes in breast cancer survivors compared with midlife women without cancer.

METHODS

Ninety-nine survivors and 138 midlife women completed questionnaires and a prospective, electronic hot flash diary. All data were collected at a baseline assessment before randomization in a behavioral intervention study.

RESULTS

Both groups had moderate perceived control over hot flashes. Control was not significantly related to hot flash frequency but was significantly related to hot flash severity, bother, and interference in both groups. A significantly stronger association between control and hot flash interference was found for survivors than for midlife women. Survivors using hot flash treatments perceived less control than did survivors not using hot flash treatments, whereas the opposite was true in midlife women.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings extend our knowledge of perceived control over hot flashes in both survivors and midlife women.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Findings emphasize the importance of continued menopausal symptom assessment and management, support the importance of continuing nursing care even for survivors who are already using hot flash treatment, and suggest that nursing interventions aimed at improving perceived control over hot flashes may be more helpful for survivors than for midlife women.

Feasibility study of acupuncture for reducing sleep disturbances and hot flashes in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors

OBJECTIVES

The present study was a feasibility study of a tailored acupuncture intervention in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors (BCSs) reporting sleep disturbances and hot flashes. Objectiveswere (1) to describe patterns of acupuncture point use; (2) evaluate outcome expectancy, credibility, and acceptability relative to the intervention; and (3) evaluate patterns of symptom change over time.

DESIGN

This was a single-group, nonrandomized, quasi-experimental 8-week study.

SAMPLE/SETTING

Ten BCSs with both sleep disturbances and hot flashes were referred to any of 4 Midwestern community acupuncturists.

METHODS

Assessments were done at baseline (weeks 1, 2), during treatment (weeks 3, 4), and after treatment (weeks 5, 8). Acupuncture treatment was tailored to the individual by community acupuncturists and provided as 3 sessions within a 2-week period (weeks 3, 4). Patients wore a wrist actigraph during weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8 and a sternal skin conductance monitor for 24 consecutive hours during weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8. Subjective data were obtained by questionnaire at weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8.

FINDINGS

Women were a mean age of 53 years, with an average 6.75 years since diagnosis. A mean of 10 needles were used per session, with the most common points located in the lung or lung meridian. Breast cancer survivors had high expectancy that acupuncture would decrease their symptoms, believed it was a credible treatment, and felt it an acceptable form of treatment. Three significant patterns of symptom change were noted from baseline: an increase in the number of minutes it took to fall asleep after treatment (from week 5 to 8; P = .04), a decrease in the percentage of time awake after sleep onset from baseline to follow-up 2 (week 8; P = .05), and a decrease in the number of hot flashes from baseline to follow-up 1 (week 5; P = .02).

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING

Findings may be used by clinical nurse specialists to consider recommending acupuncture to improve sleep and reduce hot flashes in BCSs.

CONCLUSIONS

Acupuncture treatment seems to be a feasible treatment option for highly motivated BCSs with sleep disturbances and hot flashes but needs to be further evaluated in a larger, randomized, controlled clinical trial.

Changes in self-reported hot flashes and their association with concurrent changes in insomnia symptoms among women with breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess longitudinally the relationship between hot flashes and insomnia symptoms in women receiving adjuvant treatments for breast cancer.

METHODS

Fifty-eight participants completed a 7-day daily diary assessing hot flashes, the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire, and the Insomnia Severity Index, before and after chemotherapy or radiotherapy and at a 3-month follow-up evaluation.

RESULTS

A first canonical correlation analysis (n = 55) revealed a marginally significant relationship between pretreatment versus posttreatment change scores in hot flashes and sleep (R = 0.39), and a second analysis (n = 51) showed a significant relationship between posttreatment and follow-up changes in hot flash activity and sleep (R = 0.59).

CONCLUSIONS

These results show that increases in vasomotor symptoms occurring within the few months after the termination of initial adjuvant treatments for breast cancer are significantly associated with concurrent increases in insomnia symptoms and vice versa.

Relationship between severity of symptoms and quality of life in patients with breast cancer receiving adjuvant hormonal therapy

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES

To describe symptoms and quality of life (QOL) of patients with breast cancer receiving adjuvant hormonal therapy and to examine possible relationships between the two measurements.

DESIGN

Descriptive, correlational study.

SETTING

An oncology clinic within a tertiary medical center in Israel.

SAMPLE

Convenience sample of 132 patients diagnosed with primary breast cancer receiving hormonal therapy.

METHODS

Data collection was conducted through the self-administered Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy endocrine subscale and a sociodemographic and medical information questionnaire.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES

QOL and symptoms of hormonal therapy.

FINDINGS

Ten symptoms were categorized by more than 20% of the participants as "very much" or "quite a bit." The mean QOL score for the participants was higher than that for a healthy population, although a correlation was found between fewer symptoms and higher QOL. Mood swings and irritability were the symptoms most strongly associated with a decrease in QOL. Patients who exercised had higher QOL scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Adjuvant hormonal therapy did not affect the QOL of a majority of patients with primary breast cancer. A reduced number of symptoms indicated a higher QOL. Mood swings and irritability have a negative impact on QOL.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING

A need exists to design a program to follow up on hormonal symptoms and the QOL of patients receiving hormonal therapy and to encourage patients to engage in regular exercise.

A cognitive model of menopausal hot flushes and night sweats

Hot flushes and night sweats (HF/NS) are commonly experienced by mid-aged women during the menopause transition. They affect approximately 70% of women but are regarded as problematic for 15-20% largely due to physical discomfort, distress, social embarrassment, and sleep disturbance. There is a need for effective and acceptable nonmedical treatments for menopausal symptoms due to the declining use of hormone therapy (HT) following publication of the Women's Health Initiative and other prospective studies which associated HT use with increased risk of stroke and breast cancer. HF/NS are an example of a physiological process embedded within, and moderated by, psychological processes, as evidenced by discrepancies between subjective experiences and physiologically measured symptoms. We describe a cognitive model of menopausal hot flushes that can explain symptom perception, cognitive appraisal, and behavioral reactions to symptoms. Theoretically, the model draws on symptom perception theory, self-regulation theory, and cognitive behavioral theories. The model can be used to identify the variables to target in psychological interventions for HF/NS and to aid understanding of possible mediating factors. As part of Phase II intervention development, we describe a cognitive behavioral treatment which links the bio-psycho-social processes specified in the model to components of the intervention.

Vasomotor symptoms are associated with a lower bone mineral density

OBJECTIVE

The severity of vasomotor symptoms has been hypothesized to be linked to a lower bone mineral density (BMD). We examined whether women with vasomotor symptoms are different from women without symptoms with regard to BMD.

METHODS

We used data from a population-based sample of 5,600 women, aged 46 to 57 years and free from bone diseases, who participated in the first cross-sectional part of the Eindhoven Perimenopausal Osteoporosis Study between 1994 and 1995. Questionnaires at baseline were used to collect data on vasomotor symptoms and potential confounders. At baseline, BMD of the lumbar spine was measured using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Linear regression analysis was used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Flushing was reported by 39% of all women, and night sweats, by 38% of all women. The average BMD was 1.01 +/- 0.14 g/cm and decreased with increasing frequency of flushing (P for trend < 0.0001) and night sweats (P for trend = 0.03). After multivariate adjustments for age, body mass index, menopause status, smoking, education, exercise, and hormone use, women with the highest frequency of symptoms had a 0.022 g/cm (95% CI, -0.03 to -0.01) lower BMD compared with asymptomatic women. Women who reported having the highest frequency of night sweats had a 0.011 g/cm (95% CI, -0.02 to -0.001) lower BMD compared with women with no symptoms of night sweats.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings show that vasomotor symptoms are associated with reduced bone density. It could be hypothesized that women with vasomotor symptoms might be more susceptible to the beneficial effects of estrogens, possibly by neutralizing the effect of estrogen fluctuations. Further research is needed to extend these findings to other estrogen-sensitive end organs.

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

OBJECTIVE

Among women with breast cancer, hot flashes are frequent, severe, and bothersome symptoms that can negatively impact quality of life and compromise compliance with life-saving medications (eg, tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors). Clinicians' abilities to treat hot flashes are limited due to inadequate understanding of physiological mechanisms involved in hot flashes. Using an acute tryptophan depletion paradigm, we tested whether alterations in central serotonin levels were involved in the induction of hot flashes in women with breast cancer.

METHODS

This was a within-participant, double-blind, controlled, balanced, crossover study. Twenty-seven women completed two 9-hour test days. On one test day, women ingested a concentrated amino acid drink and encapsulated amino acids (no tryptophan) according to published procedures that have been shown to have specific effects on serotonin within 4.5 to 7 hours. On the other test day, women ingested a control drink. Serial venous blood sampling and objective hot flash monitoring were used to evaluate response to each condition.

RESULTS

Response to acute tryptophan depletion was variable and unexplained by use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antiestrogens, breast cancer disease and treatment variables, or genetic polymorphisms in serotonin receptor and transporter genes. Contrary to our hypothesis, hot flashes were not worsened with acute tryptophan depletion.

CONCLUSIONS

Physiologically documented and self-reported hot flashes were not exacerbated by tryptophan depletion. Additional mechanistic research is needed to better understand the etiology of hot flashes.

The influence of breast cancer treatment on the occurrence of hot flashes

Approximately 65% of women report hot flashes (HFs) during or following breast cancer treatment. However, few studies have compared the occurrence of vasomotor symptoms according to the type of adjuvant treatment received, and little is known about other risk factors for HFs among this population. This longitudinal study aimed to: 1) compare the frequency and severity of HFs in breast cancer patients according to treatment regimen; 2) evaluate the potential contribution of hormone therapy on the frequency and severity of HFs; and 3) identify other potential risk factors for HFs in breast cancer patients. Forty-one women receiving radiation therapy and chemotherapy and 40 women receiving radiation therapy without chemotherapy completed a daily diary of HFs for seven days, and the vasomotor scale of the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire prior to and following each type of treatment, and at a three-month follow-up evaluation. Z-scores and percentiles computed from an age-matched control group (n=45) without a history of cancer revealed a higher frequency and severity of HFs among breast cancer patients compared with control participants. Chemotherapy and hormone therapy were both associated with increased HFs. Past use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and a lower body mass index (BMI) were significantly associated with more severe vasomotor symptoms. This study highlights the clinical significance of HFs among breast cancer patients, particularly in women receiving chemotherapy and hormone therapy, and the necessity to offer effective therapeutic strategies to relieve HFs in this population.

Integrating Patient-Reported Outcomes Into Cancer Symptom Management Clinical Trials Supported by the National Cancer Institute–Sponsored Clinical Trials Networks

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are often the primary end point in symptom management trials. The scientific field of PROs is evolving, as evidenced by the US Food and Drug Administration's February 2007 release of a draft guidance for using PROs in effectiveness claims for drug labeling. This article presents issues encountered during use of PROs in National Cancer Institute–sponsored symptom management trials. Selected trials are presented that exemplify the challenges often seen in symptom management trials, and solutions are described. The examples presented include defining the appropriate end point, selecting and validating assessments, and answering the research questions through statistical analysis and interpretation. Progress has been made in addressing some of the unique challenges of PRO-based symptom management research. Many challenges still remain, but a foundational body of work now exists for more consistent and rigorous application of PROs into symptom management trials. There remains a need for more research in several methodologic aspects of design, analysis, and interpretation of symptom management trials.

Hot flashes in prostate cancer: state of the science

The lack of progress concerning the concept of the hot flash experience in men is an indication of the need for exploration of this phenomenon. The hot flash experience in men is a problem that can no longer be ignored. The results of this literature review will provide a foundation for additional development of the concept and facilitate further inquiry into the phenomenon. The purpose of the article is to provide the current state of the science of hot flashes related to androgen ablation treatment in prostate cancer patients; sleep, sweating, cognitive impairment, and the implications on health-related quality of life. Due to the sparse literature on this concept in men, information is extrapolated from the literature on female breast cancer patients treated with hormones and on menopausal women.

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trials of venlafaxine for hot flashes after breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Although venlafaxine reduces self-reported hot flashes, no data have established the drug's impact on physiologically documented hot flashes. Two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trials examined the efficacy of two doses of venlafaxine in relation to physiological and self-reported hot flashes and other outcomes, including negative affect, fatigue, sleep, and quality of life.

METHODS

SAMPLE

57 breast cancer survivors in the low-dose study; 20 in the high-dose study.

SETTING

university cancer clinics in the Southeast and Midwest.

INTERVENTION

37.5 mg of venlafaxine (low-dose study) or 75 mg of venlafaxine (high-dose study).

MEASURES

hot flash frequency (physiological monitor, diary, and event marker), hot flash severity (diary), hot flash bother (diary), and questionnaires for hot flash impact on daily life, negative affect, fatigue, sleep, and quality of life.

RESULTS

Subjective but not physiological hot flash measures showed placebo effects. Venlafaxine resulted in modest decreases in hot flashes, but only hot flash interference improved differentially at the higher dose. The timing of venlafaxine's effects on hot flashes varied by dose. Only women with a > or =50% decrease in physiological hot flashes experienced significant improvement in fatigue, sleep quality, and quality of life. Although side effects were mild, most patients discontinued venlafaxine long-term.

CONCLUSIONS

Although venlafaxine resulted in modest and acute reductions in hot flashes with few side effects, it may not be tolerable to some patients long-term. At least 50% relief in physiological hot flashes may be needed for patients to demonstrate improvement in other outcomes, including decreased fatigue, improved sleep, and improved quality of life.

Validation of sternal skin conductance for detection of hot flashes in prostate cancer survivors

The gold standard for objectively measuring hot flashes in women is an increased sternal skin conductance level (SCL), but validation studies in prostate cancer patients are lacking. In the laboratory, an SCL increase of > or = 1.78 micro-mho in 45 s had a sensitivity of 68% and a positive predictive value of 100% in detecting self-reported hot flashes among prostate cancer patients. Outside the laboratory, 71% of the objective markers of hot flashes were accompanied by a subjective report of a hot flash, and 65% of subjective reports occurred in the absence of an objective criterion. This study demonstrates that sternal skin conductance can be used to detect hot flashes in men in a manner analogous to its utilization among women. Such use would improve outcome analysis of treatment studies.