Priorities for alleviating menopausal symptoms after cancer

ObjectiveTo determine treatment priorities in women cancer patients attending a dedicated Menopausal Symptoms After Cancer service.MethodsCancer type and stage were abstracted from medical records. Women ranked up to three symptoms as treatment priorities from the list hot flushes/night sweats, mood changes, vaginal dryness or soreness, sleep disturbances, feeling tired or worn out (fatigue), sexual problems and/or pain with intercourse, joint pain, and something else with free-text response. For each prioritized symptom, patients completed standardized patient-reported outcome measures to determine symptom severity and impact.ResultsOf 189 patients, most had breast cancer (48.7%, n = 92), followed by hematological (25.8%, n = 49), gynecological (18.0%, n = 34), or colorectal (2.6%, n = 5). The highest (first-ranked) treatment priority was vasomotor symptoms (33.9%, n = 64), followed by fatigue (18.0%, n = 34), vaginal dryness/soreness (9.5%, n = 18), and sexual problems/pain with intercourse (9.5%, n = 18). Symptoms most often selected in the top three (prioritized) were fatigue (57.7%, n = 109), vasomotor symptoms (57.1%, n = 108), and sleep disturbance (49.2%, n = 93). In patients who prioritized vasomotor symptoms, medians on the problem, distress, and interference dimensions of the Hot Flash Related Daily Interference Scale were, respectively, 6.0 (interquartile range [IQR], 5.0-8.0), 5.5 (IQR, 3.0-8.0), and 5.0 (IQR, 3.-7.0), indicating moderate severity. In patients who prioritized fatigue, the median Fatigue Scale score was 28 (IQR, 19-36), 37% worse than general population.ConclusionsVasomotor symptoms, fatigue, sexual problems, and vaginal dryness/soreness were the leading priorities for treatment. Understanding symptom severity and patient priorities will inform better care for this growing population.

Automated summary

The objective of this study was to determine treatment priorities in women cancer patients attending a dedicated Menopausal Symptoms After Cancer service. Cancer type and stage were identified from medical records, and patients ranked their top three treatment priorities from a list of symptoms. The leading treatment priorities were vasomotor symptoms, fatigue, sexual problems, and vaginal dryness/soreness. Understanding symptom severity and patient priorities will improve care for this growing population.