Abstract
PurposeWe compared trajectories of vasomotor symptoms (VMS) and their risk factors in women with breast cancer (BrCa) to those of cancer-free controls.MethodsData were from 15 nearly annual follow-up visits (1996–2017) of the multi-racial/ethnic cohort of midlife women enrolled in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN). We compared women with incident BrCa to controls for patterns of VMS, controlling for risk factors identified in bivariate analyses using multivariable longitudinal analyses.ResultsCharacteristics at study entry largely did not differ between cases (n = 151) and controls (n = 2161). Adjusted prevalence of any VMS increased significantly among cases from diagnosis to 2.75 years post diagnosis [per-year adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.39–2.24], peaking at 2.75 years post diagnosis, whereas prevalence was stable among controls in this interval [aOR = 1.04, 95% CI 0.99–1.11]. Beyond 2.75 years post diagnosis, prevalence declined significantly in cases [aOR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.61–0.84] and less in controls [aOR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.92–1.00]. Patterns were similar for frequent VMS. Adjustment for tamoxifen use slightly reduced the per-year OR for any prevalent VMS post diagnosis, partially explaining excess VMS in cases. Other treatments were unassociated with VMS.ConclusionsPatterns of prevalent VMS reporting differed significantly between cases and controls, particularly post diagnosis, the latter only partially explained by tamoxifen use among cases. Risk factors for VMS largely did not differ between cases and controls.
Highlights
Breast cancer (BrCa) is the most frequently occurring cancer among US women
We addressed the following hypotheses: (1) among women diagnosed with BrCa during followup, incidence and prevalence rates of Vasomotor symptoms (VMS) would be higher after diagnosis and cancer treatment than before; (2) prevalence rates of VMS in BrCa cases would be lower than in controls pre-diagnosis but higher post diagnosis; (3) in cases, treatment with BrCa-related selective estrogen receptor modulators (BrCa SERMS), endocrine medications, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy would be associated with greater prevalent VMS post treatment; and
Our results provide a new contribution by comparing preand post-diagnosis trajectories of VMS among women with incident BrCa to those of controls, revealing that much of the increase post-diagnosis was not attributable to treatment, and revealed that VMS risk factors did not differ in cases and controls
Summary
Breast cancer (BrCa) is the most frequently occurring cancer among US women. Currently, about 3.8 million BrCa survivors are alive in the US (https://www.bcrf.org/breast-cancer-statistics-and-resources), and 89.9% of the estimated 268,600 women diagnosed with BrCa annually will be alive 5 years after diagnosis (https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html), a number projected to increase. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment sleep [9], quality of life [10, 11], depressive symptoms [12] and adherence to BrCa treatment [13,14,15], which may affect survival [16,17,18], those with AI-associated VMS have improved disease-free survival (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.47) [19]. The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health showed no association of VMS with incident BrCa (aHR 1.09) [20]. The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) found VMS were protective for BrCa incidence (aHR 0.63) during 11.4 years of follow-up [22].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
