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Does progesterone work for hot flashes?

Page last modified on: September 5, 2008

Question from Toni: Would taking progesterone work for hot flashes?: Answers —Charles Loprinzi, M.D.: We have previously studied megestrol acetate (brand name: Megace) in low doses with patients with breast cancer. This medication decreased hot flashes by approximately 80 percent from baseline. This result is similar to what would be expected from the use of estrogen. So from this, progesterone treatment is an effective means of alleviating hot flashes. However, there are some physicians and patients who are nervous about giving any hormone, including progesterone, to patients with breast cancer. Thus, nonhormonal means are often times utilized first.; Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H.: Would you comment, then, on the use of Megace in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer?; Charles Loprinzi, M.D.: It is true that Megace in relatively large doses, such as 160 mg per day, is used at times to treat patients with recurrent breast cancer. Why then do people worry about using it for hot flashes and causing recurrence of breast cancer? The answer is that the doses used for hot flash management are much lower than the doses for breast cancer treatment, and this causes concern among some doctors. In a similar manner, in the olden days (15-20 years ago) our best hormonal treatment for patients with breast cancer was actually DES. That is an estrogen therapy that was used in high doses where it seemed to shrink breast cancer, and in small doses, there's concern about making breast cancer grow. The whole question about the effect of these different hormonal treatments in breast cancer survivors continues to be one that is debated and studied.

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.