Treatments for menopausal symptoms in breast cancer patients

Menopausal symptoms are common and problematic for women receiving adjuvant treatment for breast cancer and management presents a challenge. The evidence base for various treatments for menopausal symptoms is described. A descriptive study (reported in detail in Hunter et al in press) was carried out to investigate the experience of menopausal symptoms, current management and treatment preferences of 113 patients with breast cancer. The prevalence of hot flushes and night sweats was 80 and 72% respectively (average 30 per week). The women had used a range of treatments for menopausal symptoms but there was often no evidence for the efficacy for many of these treatments. Strongest preferences were for non-medical treatments, particularly vitamins and herbal remedies and cognitive behavioural. therapy (CBT). The evidence for the effectiveness of the former is weak, whereas CBT has been shown to reduce menopausal symptoms, but needs to be evaluated in a population of women who have been treated for breast cancer.