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How common are extreme symptoms?

Page last modified on: September 23, 2008

Question from Leeann: I've read that a percentage of women go through menopause without experiencing the more notorious symptoms, even without HRT. Is this also true for some women who are thrown into menopause because of breast cancer treatment?: Answer —Charles Loprinzi, M.D.: About 80 percent of women who go through menopause do get hot flashes. Therefore, about 20 percent of women do not, as suggested by the question. There are some women with breast cancer who also never have trouble with hot flashes. It's probably a lower percentage, however, because we give some of these women tamoxifen and that causes hot flashes, and sometimes chemotherapy puts women into premature menopause and that increases the risk of hot flashes. There are not a lot of data to tell exactly how many women with breast cancer, however, don't get hot flashes.

On Wednesday, March 20, 2002, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Managing Menopausal Symptoms. Charles Loprinzi, M.D., Debra Barton, Ph.D., and Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. answered your questions about hot flashes, vaginal dryness, loss of libido, and other symptoms associated with menopause.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of Breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Debra Barton, Ph.D. is a nurse coordinator at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where she directs clinical trials in cancer control and chemoprevention.

Charles Loprinzi, M.D. is an emeritus chairman of the division of medical oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Along with hot flash management, his research focuses on ways to reduce pain as well as appetite changes caused by breast cancer treatment.

Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. is a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of breast cancer, with a a special interest in cancer survivorship, patient-physician communication, and quality of care for women with breast cancer.

Breastcancer.org is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing information and community to those touched by this disease. Learn more about our commitment to providing complete, accurate, and private breast cancer information.

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