Influence of hot flashes on quality of life in patients with prostate cancer treated with androgen deprivation therapy.
BACKGROUND
We surveyed patients with prostate cancer treated with androgen deprivation therapy to examine the influence of hot flashes on quality of life (QOL).


METHODS
Fifty-five outpatients with prostate cancer (M0, 39; M1, 16) treated with androgen deprivation therapy (castration, 15; castration and antiandrogen, 40) were enrolled in this study. Mean duration of androgen deprivation therapy was 21 months (2-91 months). The patients were still being treated with androgen deprivation therapy at the time of the survey. The functional assessment of cancer therapy (FACT) was used as a QOL questionnaire for outpatients with prostate cancer treated with androgen deprivation therapy. Hot flash assessments were used to document the number and severity (mild, moderate, and severe) of daily hot flashes. The patients prescribed fluvoxamine maleate were reassessed for hot flashes 2 weeks after the prescription.


RESULTS
Thirty-two of the 55 patients (58.2%) suffered from hot flashes. Hot flashes deteriorated the physical well-being subscale of QOL in patients with prostate cancer treated with androgen deprivation therapy (P = 0.043). There was a significant relationship between the desire to be treated for hot flashes and the hot flash assessments (P = 0.038). Fluvoxamine maleate was significantly effective in reducing hot flashes (P = 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Hot flashes had adverse effects on the patients' physical status and deteriorated the patients' QOL. New treatment options such as fluvoxamine maleate might help simplify the often difficult management of hot flashes in patients with prostate cancer treated with androgen deprivation therapy.
Nishiyama
Tsutomu
T
Division of Urology, Department of Regenerative and Transplant Medicine, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Asahimachi 1-757, Niigata 951-8510, Japan. nisiyama@med.niigata-u.ac.jp
Kanazawa
Saori
S
Watanabe
Reiko
R
Terunuma
Masahiro
M
Takahashi
Kota
K
D000368:Aged; D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016666:Fluvoxamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D016666:Fluvoxamine