Hot Flashes and Quality of Life among Breast Cancer Patients
Abstract
This ongoing longitudinal study examines hot flashes and Quality of Life (QoL) in breast cancer (BC) patients undergoing initial treatment, and develops a taxonomy of the medical and Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) interventions used by them. Women are assessed for hot flash intensity/frequency, use of medical and CAM interventions, emotional distress, physical and social functioning, and QoL at diagnosis and at 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 months. To date, 106 women have been recruited to the study. Preliminary analysis of baseline descriptive data is available. The sample is primarily middle-aged (M = 52 years; R = 28-81 years), Caucasian (86.6%), has some college education (85%), and is married (71.7%). Most women (76.5%) report no hot flashes at baseline and only 25% report that they have experienced hot flashes in the preceding 12 months. Baseline distress scores using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist were moderate (M = 43), and almost half the sample (47.5%) exceeded criteria for elevated distress. Baseline distress was related to age, with younger women demonstrating higher distress levels (r = -.28, p = .005). Of women currently experiencing hot flashes, 51% report having used hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and 26.7% report having used exercise to control them. At baseline, use of CAM products was rare, with 14.3% of women reporting use, most commonly flaxseed (5.1%). Almost 70% of the women report taking vitamin supplements; 11.1% report taking dietary supplements, such as soy products and lycopene; and 21.2% report engaging in alternative therapies, most commonly relaxation techniques (11.1%) and massage therapy (7.1%).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA443690
Entities
People
- Linda A. Jacobs
Organizations
- University of Pennsylvania