The Management of Menopausal Symptoms in Women Following Breast Cancer: An Overview

Cheryl Phua, Rodney Baber

The improved detection and successful treatment of breast cancer, resulting in better survival rates, has led to an increasing number of women living with the effects of treatment modalities and their long-term consequences. Menopausal symptoms following breast cancer can occur at an earlier age, be more severe and significantly influence a woman's overall wellbeing, in particular, sexual function, quality of life and adherence to treatment. There is a dearth of good quality evidence on the safest and most effective treatment options available for these women, and this article aims to summarize the current available treatments. Pertinent to these women is general advice, such as avoidance of triggers, and lifestyle modifications. Following which, non-pharmacological interventions, including cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), hypnosis, acupuncture, stellate ganglion nerve block and complementary agents, are discussed. Pharmacological therapies and their safety profile in these high-risk women are then examined; namely, menopausal hormone therapy, progestogens, antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors), gabapentin, clonidine and intra-vaginal dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Finally, neurokinin 3 receptor antagonists, promising new agents for the treatment of troublesome menopausal vasomotor symptoms, are discussed.