title: Management of hot flushes in breast cancer survivors: comparison between stellate ganglion block and pregabalin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Women who have survived breast cancer have hot flushes that are "significantly more frequent, severe, distressing, and of greater duration" than in other women. We compared the efficacy and safety of stellate ganglion block and pregabalin for the relief of hot flushes in breast cancer survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients who were breast cancer survivors and were suffering from hot flushes to the degree that they seeked for treatment were included in the study and randomly divided into two groups: group I: (N = 20) stellate ganglion block was done for the patients of this group; and group II: (N = 20) in this group, the patients received 75 mg pregabalin twice daily. In both groups self-completed daily hot flush diaries and monthly symptom questionnaires were obtained at baseline and for the following 3 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results showed that group I (stellate ganglion block) had significant (P < 0.05) decline in the frequency of mild, moderate, very severe, and total hot flushes in comparison with group II (pregabalin 75 mg twice daily) throughout the 3 months of follow up period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The stellate ganglion block had superior efficacy in the management of hot flushes in breast cancer survivors.
authors.affiliation: Anesthesia, ICU and Pain Relief, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmed H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Othman
authors.forename: Amen H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Zaky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D000069583:Pregabalin; D011788:Quality of Life; D013233:Stellate Ganglion / Q000601:surgery*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000069583:Pregabalin; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
keywords: Breast Cancer; Hot Flushes; Pregabalin; Stellate Ganglion Block