Symptoms and Treatment in Cancer Therapy-Induced Early Menopause.docVIP

 PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 68 Symptoms and Treatment in Cancer Therapy-Induced Early Menopause Author: Annelies H. Boekhouta, Jos H. Beijnena, b, Jan HM Schellensa, b Keywords: Hot, flashes a Netherlands Cancer Institute / Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; b Division of Biomedical Analysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands Key Words. Hot flashes; Pathophysiology; Epidemiology; Complementary therapies; Clonidine; Gabapentin; Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors; Breast neoplasm ABSTRACT Young women with breast cancer often experience early menopause as a result of the therapy for their malignant disease. The sudden occurrence of menopause resulting from chemotherapy, oophorectomy, radiation, or gonadal dysgenesis frequently results in hot flashes that begin at a younger age and may occur at a greater frequency and intensity than hot flashes associated with natural menopause. Hormone therapy relieves symptoms effectively in 80?% Of women who initiate treatment. This therapy, however, is generally contraindicated in estrogen-dependent cancers, such as breast cancer, because of the potentially increased risk for recurrence. Many agents have been investigated as potential means for alleviating hot flashes in survivors of breast cancer, such as progestagens, clonidine, gabapentin, and anti-depressants. Several complementary and alternative medicines frequently used by patients have also been studied. These include black cohosh, phytoestrogens, homeopathy, vitamin E, acupuncture, and behavior strategies. To support the use of one of more of these nonpharmacological or pharmacological options in the treatment of hot flashes in breast cancer patients, more evidence from well-controlled clinical trials is needed. In particular, soundly based scientific research with complementary and alternative medicine therapies is lacking. Pharmacological tr