Hypnosis in Treating Hot Flashes in Breast Cancer Survivors

OBJECTIVES:

- Determine the efficacy of hypnosis in controlling hot flashes in women who are breast
cancer survivors.

- Determine the extent to which hypnotizability is related to the success of the
hypnotherapy intervention.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, controlled study. Patients are stratified according to age,
gender, race, and educational background. All patients complete a Hot Flash Daily Diary to
record frequency and severity of hot flashes for 1 week. Patients are then randomized to 1
of 2 treatment arms.

- Arm I (hypnotherapy): Patients undergo hypnotherapy once a week for 5 weeks. Patients
complete the Hot Flash-Related Daily Interference Scale, the Hospital Depression and
Anxiety Sub-scale, the CES Depression Scale, and the MOS-Sleep and Sexual Function
Scales in week 5 after the last hypnotherapy intervention. Patients also complete
another Hot Flash Daily Diary for 1 week in week 6 and are administered the Stanford
Hypnotic Clinical Scale in week 7.

- Arm II (control): Patients receive no contact for 4 weeks. Patients complete the
questionnaires as in arm I in week 5. Patients also complete another Hot Flash Daily
Diary for 1 week in week 6 and are administered the Stanford Hypnotic Clinical Scale in
week 7.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 60 patients will be accrued for this study.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- History of primary breast cancer

- No evidence of detectable disease

- At least 14 hot flashes per week for ≥ 1 month by self-reporting

- Hormone receptor status not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- Female

- Life expectancy > 6 months

- Menopausal status not specified

- Outpatient status

- No medical or psychiatric condition that would preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- Concurrent antihormonal agents for breast cancer (e.g., tamoxifen or raloxifene)
allowed provided the patient has been on them for ≥ 1 month

- No other concurrent hormonal therapy

- No other putative therapies for hot flashes ≥ 1 month prior to study entry

- Concurrent vitamin E allowed

- No other concurrent treatment for hot flashes

- No concurrent cytotoxic chemotherapy

- Not concurrently using hypnosis for any reason