Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2008 Nov 1;26(31):5022-6.
doi: 10.1200/JCO.2008.16.6389. Epub 2008 Sep 22.

Randomized trial of a hypnosis intervention for treatment of hot flashes among breast cancer survivors

Gary Elkins  1 , Joel Marcus, Vered Stearns, Michelle Perfect, M Hasan Rajab, Christopher Ruud, Lynne Palamara, Timothy Keith
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Randomized trial of a hypnosis intervention for treatment of hot flashes among breast cancer survivors

Gary Elkins et al. J Clin Oncol. .

Abstract

Purpose: Hot flashes are a significant problem for many breast cancer survivors. Hot flashes can cause discomfort, disrupted sleep, anxiety, and decreased quality of life. A well-tolerated and effective mind-body treatment for hot flashes would be of great value. On the basis of previous case studies, this study was developed to evaluate the effect of a hypnosis intervention for hot flashes.

Patients and methods: Sixty female breast cancer survivors with hot flashes were randomly assigned to receive hypnosis intervention (five weekly sessions) or no treatment. Eligible patients had to have a history of primary breast cancer without evidence of detectable disease and 14 or more weekly hot flashes for at least 1 month. The major outcome measure was a bivariate construct that represented hot flash frequency and hot flash score, which was analyzed by a classic sums and differences comparison. Secondary outcome measures were self-reports of interference of hot flashes on daily activities.

Results: Fifty-one randomly assigned women completed the study. By the end of the treatment period, hot flash scores (frequency x average severity) decreased 68% from baseline to end point in the hypnosis arm (P < .001). Significant improvements in self-reported anxiety, depression, interference of hot flashes on daily activities, and sleep were observed for patients who received the hypnosis intervention (P < .005) in comparison to the no treatment control group.

Conclusion: Hypnosis appears to reduce perceived hot flashes in breast cancer survivors and may have additional benefits such as reduced anxiety and depression, and improved sleep.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig A1.
Fig A1.
Distribution of hot flash frequencies pre- and post-test by treatment condition.
Fig 1.
Fig 1.
Hot flash scores pre- and post-test by treatment condition.
Fig 2.
Fig 2.
Hot flash interference scores at pre- and post-test by treatment condition.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

    1. Ganong W: Menopause, in: Review of Medical Physiology. Norwalk, CT, Appleton and Lange, 1993, pp 384-396
    1. Carpenter JS: The Hot Flash Related Daily Interference Scale: A tool for assessing the impact of hot flashes on quality of life following breast cancer. J Pain Symptom Manage 22:979-989, 2001 - PubMed
    1. Lamb MA: Effects of cancer on the sexuality and fertility of women. Semin Oncol Nurs 11:120-127, 1995 - PubMed
    1. Carpenter JS, Andrykowski MA, Cordova M, et al: Hot flashes in postmenopausal women treated for breast carcinoma: Prevalence, severity, correlates, management, and relation to quality of life. Cancer 82:1682-1691, 1998 - PubMed
    1. Loprinzi CL, Michalak JC, Quella SK, et al: Megestrol acetate for the prevention of hot flashes. N Engl J Med 331:347-352, 1994 - PubMed

Publication types

Substances