1344 PUBLICATION Clonidine vs. Venlafaxine as treatment for hot flashes in breast cancer patients — a double-blind randomised study

9083 Background: Breast cancer patients who become postmenopausal due to their treatment can experience more frequent and severe hot flashes than healthy postmenopausal women. Estrogens are considered to be contra-indicated. Venlafaxine and clonidine are both used to alleviate hot flashes, with different side effects. This study compared side effects, efficacy and patient preference. Methods: In a double-blind, cross-over study women <60 years, with a history of breast cancer, and experiencing at least 14 hot flashes/week were randomized to receive venlafaxine 75 mg od (and placebo bid) for 8 weeks, followed by a 2 week wash-out period, and 8 weeks of clonidine 0.025 mg bid (and placebo od) or vice versa. Hot flash frequency and hot flash score (frequency × severity) were recorded in a diary and side effects were scored using a questionnaire during the 2nd and 8th week of both treatment periods, and these were compared to a baseline week. Results: Sixty patients were randomized to start with venlafaxine (n=30) and clonidine (n=30), 40 completed both treatment periods. Premature treatment discontinuation occurred in 15/59 patients during venlafaxine and in 5/53 during clonidine due to side effects (p<0.05). The main side effects of venlafaxine were nausea and headache, and of clonidine dry mouth. In the 8th week of treatment women reported more loss of appetite (24% vs 4%; p=0.03) and improved sleeping (55% vs 75%; p=0.03) with venlafaxine. A =50% reduction in hot flash score was found in 21 (49%) and 26 (55%) of the patients with venlafaxine and clonidine respectively (ns). The decrease in hot flash score was most marked in the first treatment period. At study completion 20 (33%) of the patients chose to continue clonidine, and 17 (29%) preferred venlafaxine (ns), whereas 23 (38%) declined further treatment. Conclusions: Venlafaxine and clonidine are both moderately and equally effective in the reduction of hot flashes. Side effects are the main reason for discontinuation, occurring more often during treatment with venlafaxine. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Download Full-text

Abstract PD08-04: Management of Hot Flashes in Breast Cancer Patients with Venlafaxine and Clonidine: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial

10.1158/0008-5472.sabcs10-pd08-04 ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

AH Boekhout ◽

A Vincent ◽

J Bosch ◽

S Adriaansz ◽

J Foekema ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Hot Flashes ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Double Blind ◽

Double Blind Placebo

Download Full-text

Venlafaxine is superior to clonidine as treatment of hot flashes in breast cancer patients—a double-blind, randomized study

Annals of Oncology ◽

10.1093/annonc/mdl478 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 689-693 ◽

Cited By ~ 61

Author(s):

S. Loibl ◽

K. Schwedler ◽

G. von Minckwitz ◽

R. Strohmeier ◽

K.M. Mehta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Randomized Study ◽

Hot Flashes ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Double Blind

Download Full-text

Venlafaxine versus clonidine for the treatment of hot flashes in breast cancer patients: a double-blind, randomized cross-over study

Breast Cancer Research and Treatment ◽

10.1007/s10549-008-0138-7 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 115 (3) ◽

pp. 573-580 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Ciska Buijs ◽

Constantijne H. Mom ◽

Pax H. B. Willemse ◽

H. Marike Boezen ◽

J. Marina Maurer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Hot Flashes ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Double Blind

Download Full-text

Breast Cancer Detection from a Urine Sample by Dog Sniffing: A Preliminary Study for the Development of a New Screening Device and a Literature Review

Biology ◽

10.3390/biology10060517 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 517

Author(s):

Shoko Kure ◽

Shinya Iida ◽

Marina Yamada ◽

Hiroyuki Takei ◽

Naoyuki Yamashita ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Screening ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Urine Sample ◽

Urine Samples ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Double Blind ◽

Blind Test ◽

Preliminary Study ◽

Detect Breast Cancer

Background: Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Several studies have demonstrated that dogs can sniff and detect cancer in the breath or urine sample of a patient. This study aims to assess whether the urine sample can be used for breast cancer screening by its fingerprints of volatile organic compounds using a single trained sniffer dog. This is a preliminary study for developing the “electronic nose” for cancer screening. Methods: A nine-year-old female Labrador Retriever was trained to identify cancer from urine samples of breast cancer patients. Urine samples from patients histologically diagnosed with primary breast cancer, those with non-breast malignant diseases, and healthy volunteers were obtained, and a double-blind test was performed. Total of 40 patients with breast cancer, 142 patients with non-breast malignant diseases, and 18 healthy volunteers were enrolled, and their urine samples were collected. Results: In 40 times out of 40 runs of a double-blind test, the trained dog could correctly identify urine samples of breast cancer patients. Sensitivity and specificity of this breast cancer detection method using dog sniffing were both 100%. Conclusions: The trained dog in this study could accurately detect breast cancer from urine samples of breast cancer patients. These results indicate the feasibility of a method to detect breast cancer from urine samples using dog sniffing in the diagnosis of breast cancer. Although the methodological standardization is still an issue to be discussed, the current result warrants further study for developing a new breast cancer screening method based on volatile organic compounds in urine samples.

Download Full-text

Are objectively recorded hot flashes associated with insomnia symptoms reported by breast cancer patients?

International Journal of Psychophysiology ◽

10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2008.05.017 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 69 (3) ◽

pp. 209

Author(s):

M.H. Savard ◽

A. Caplette-Gingras ◽

J. Savard

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Hot Flashes ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Insomnia Symptoms

Download Full-text

Tamoxifen as Adjuvant after Surgery for Breast Cancer and Tamoxifen or Placebo as Chemoprevention in Healthy Women: Different Compliance with Treatment

Tumori Journal ◽

10.1177/030089169808400312 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 84 (3) ◽

pp. 372-375 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Andrea Veronesi ◽

Maria Antonietta Pizzichetta ◽

Maria Annunziata Ferlante ◽

Maura Zottar ◽

Maria Donatella Magri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Treatment Duration ◽

Hot Flashes ◽

Postmenopausal Breast Cancer ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Prevention Study ◽

Double Blind ◽

Cancer Study Group ◽

Breast Cancer Study ◽

The Impact

Aim The aim of this study was to investigate whether tamoxifen toxicity and treatment discontinuations differred in the adjuvant versus chemopreventive setting. Methods At our Institutions 119 postmenopausal breast cancer patients were randomized from August 1987 to March 1995 to tamoxifen only within adjuvant studies (International Breast Cancer Study Group studies VII and IX) and 202 healthy hysterectomized women aged 35-70 years were randomized from November 1993 to May 1996 in a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled chemoprevention study (Italian Tamoxifen Prevention Study). The tamoxifen dose was 20 mg/day for 5 years in all studies. Median age was 66 years (54-85) in the adjuvant studies and 53 years (37-69) in the chemoprevention study. Median treatment duration was 238 and 120 weeks, respectively. Results Patients treated within adjuvant studies experienced more hot flashes, vaginal discharge and/or bleeding, bone marrow depression and weight gain than those treated in the chemoprevention study, consistent with the fact that a proportion of women in the latter study were receiving placebo. Temporary discontinuation occurred in 2.5% of patients in the adjuvant studies and in 5.4% of women in the chemoprevention study (difference not statistically significant). Permanent discontinuation was more frequent in the chemoprevention study than in the adjuvant ones (26.7% vs 15.1% - P < 0.05). Conclusions In summary, our data show that, although the toxicity of tamoxifen is superimposable in the two settings, a larger proportion of women treated as chemoprevention discontinue treatment spontaneously. Due to the double-blind nature of the chemoprevention study, the impact of the toxicity of tamoxifen upon compliance in the chemopreventive setting cannot be ascertained.

Download Full-text