Influence of menopausal status on sleep and hot flashes throughout breast cancer adjuvant chemotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the patterns and differences among sleep and hot flashes based on menopausal status (pre, peri, or post) in breast cancer adjuvant chemotherapy patients before, during, and after treatment.


METHODS
Secondary analysis from a randomized clinical trial.


METHODS
Outpatient clinics and participants' homes.


METHODS
Two hundred nineteen (219) women; mean age of 52 years (29-79); postoperative, Stages I to IIIA breast cancer.


METHODS
Participants were randomized to a behavioral sleep intervention or a healthy eating control group. Variables measured were menopausal status (self-report), subjective sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), objective sleep (actigraphy), perceived interruption of sleep by hot flashes (diary), and demographic/medical characteristics. Data reported were collected 48 hours before initial chemotherapy, at treatment 4, and 30 days after the last treatment. Analysis included descriptives and repeated measures mixed model analysis of variance.


RESULTS
Objective sleep and the perceived interruption of sleep by hot flashes changed significantly over time. Sleep and hot flashes differed over time by menopausal status. Only hot flashes were significantly different by study group and by menopausal status over time.


CONCLUSIONS
Women's menopausal status when starting chemotherapy was associated with differing patterns of sleep and hot flashes over time.
Berger
Ann M
AM
University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5330, USA. aberger@unmc.edu
Treat Marunda
Heather A
HA
Agrawal
Sangeeta
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis