Insomnia and its treatment in women with breast cancer

Abstract

Insomnia is a common complaint in breast cancer patients and has been shown to have a host of psychological and medical correlates and consequences. Typically insomnia is treated pharmacologically, however more recent findings from randomized controlled clinical trials support the use of cognitive behavioral therapies. The aim of this article is to review the empirically supported breast cancer literature on insomnia, briefly present and explain the insomnia treatment options available, and extrapolate research guidelines for future directions in this growing field. Behavioral therapeutic approaches for insomnia seem particularly suitable to use in the breast cancer populations because they have lower risk of interacting with the cancer treatment, do not burden the patients with additional pharmacological treatments, and can target the treatment towards ameliorating specific symptoms, like fatigue, that are characteristic in this population. However, there is a need for replication of efficacy studies of cognitive behavioral treatments for insomnia in breast cancer, as well as studies investigating vulnerability, risk and protective factors that might ultimately lead to insomnia prevention programs for use in this population.