A survey among breast cancer survivors: treatment of the climacteric after breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the prevalence and type of menopausal treatments used by breast cancer survivors. To assess factors that impaired the quality of life of these patients.


METHODS
A questionnaire assessing quality of life was sent to 325 breast cancer patients. A 66% valid response rate was obtained. Among these responses, 169 women were postmenopausal. The following results concern these patients only.


RESULTS
Forty-five women were using some treatment to alleviate certain menopausal symptoms (26.6%). More than half of the patients used no therapy to alleviate menopausal symptoms, either because they had no symptoms (n = 43; 25.4%), they feared breast cancer recurrence (n = 24; 14.2%), they were advised not to use a treatment (n = 27; 16%), it had been shown to be inefficient (n = 5; 3%), or because of contraindication (n = 3; 1.8%). In this survey, 62.3% of postmenopausal women affected by breast cancer suffered from hot flushes (n = 94), of which half were severe (n = 46). Among women suffering from hot flushes, a third used various products to alleviate their symptoms (n = 30). Younger women suffered more often from vasomotor symptoms than did older women (p < 0.000). Current users of aromatase inhibitors suffered more from sexual disorders than did non-users (p < 0.001). They had more often an unsatisfactory sexual life (p < 0.01), more vaginal dryness (p = 0.01) and a decreased libido (p < 0.02) compared to non-users.


CONCLUSIONS
More than 50% of postmenopausal women suffered from climacteric symptoms such as hot flushes, but few were taking a treatment to alleviate these symptoms.
Antoine
C
C
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Free Universities of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium.
Vandromme
J
J
Fastrez
M
M
Carly
B
B
Liebens
F
F
Rozenberg
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D001828:Body Image; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D004967:Estrogens / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007989:Libido; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D017698:Postmenopause; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D004967:Estrogens