Dataset Information

A pilot phase II trial of magnesium supplements to reduce menopausal hot flashes in breast cancer patients.

ABSTRACT: We tested if magnesium would diminish bothersome hot flashes in breast cancer patients.Breast cancer patients with at least 14 hot flashes a week received magnesium oxide 400 mg for 4 weeks, escalating to 800 mg if needed. Hot flash score (frequency?×?severity) at baseline was compared to the end of treatment.Of 29 who enrolled, 25 women completed treatment. The average age was 53.5 years; six African American, the rest Caucasian; eight were on tamoxifen, nine were on aromatase inhibitors, and 14 were on anti-depressants. Seventeen patients escalated the magnesium dose. Hot flash frequency/week was reduced from 52.2 (standard error (SE), 13.7) to 27.7 (SE, 5.7), a 41.4% reduction, p?=?0.02, two-sided paired t test. Hot flash score was reduced from 109.8 (SE, 40.9) to 47.8 (SE, 13.8), a 50.4% reduction, p?=?0.04. Of 25 patients, 14 (56%) had a >50% reduction in hot flash score, and 19 (76%) had a >25% reduction. Fatigue, sweating, and distress were all significantly reduced. Side effects were minor: two women stopped the drug including one each with headache and nausea, and two women had grade 1 diarrhea. Compliance was excellent, and many patients continued treatment after the trial.Oral magnesium appears to have helped more than half of the patients and was well tolerated. Side effects and cost ($0.02/tablet) were minimal. A randomized placebo-controlled trial is planned.

SUBMITTER: Park H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3085555 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

A pilot phase II trial of magnesium supplements to reduce menopausal hot flashes in breast cancer patients.

Park Haeseong H Parker Gwendolyn L GL Boardman Cecelia H CH Morris Monica M MM Smith Thomas J TJ

Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer 20110127 6

<h4>Background</h4>We tested if magnesium would diminish bothersome hot flashes in breast cancer patients.<h4>Methods</h4>Breast cancer patients with at least 14 hot flashes a week received magnesium oxide 400 mg for 4 weeks, escalating to 800 mg if needed. Hot flash score (frequency × severity) at baseline was compared to the end of treatment.<h4>Results</h4>Of 29 who enrolled, 25 women completed treatment. The average age was 53.5 years; six African American, the rest Caucasian; eight were on ...[more]

PMID: 21271347

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundEvidence on the impact of expectancy on acupuncture treatment response is conflicting.ObjectivesThis secondary analysis of a randomized sham-controlled trial on acupuncture for menopausal hot flashes investigated whether treatment expectancy score was associated with hot flash score at end-of-treatment. Secondary analyses investigated whether there were associations between other pre-specified factors and hot flash score.Study designWomen experiencing moderately-severe hot flashes were randomized to receive 10 sessions of real or sham acupuncture over eight weeks. Hot flash score was collected using a seven-day hot flash diary, and expectancy using the modified Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire immediately after the first treatment. Linear mixed-effects models with random intercepts were used to identify associations between expectancy score and hot flash score at end-of-treatment. Regression was also used to identify associations between pre-specified factors of interest and hot flash score. Because there was no difference between real and sham acupuncture for the primary outcome of hot flash score, both arms were combined in the analysis.Results285 women returned the Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire, and 283 women completed both expectancy measures. We found no evidence for an association between expectancy and hot flash score at end-of-treatment for individual cases in either acupuncture or sham group. Hot flash scores at end-of-treatment were 8.1 (95%CI, 3.0 to 13.2; P = 0.002) points lower in regular smokers compared to those who had never smoked, equivalent to four fewer moderate hot flashes a day.ConclusionIn our study of acupuncture for menopausal hot flashes, higher expectancy after the first treatment did not predict better treatment outcomes. Future research may focus on other determinants of outcomes in acupuncture such as therapist attention. The relationship between smoking and hot flashes is poorly understood and needs further exploration.

Dataset Information

A pilot phase II trial of magnesium supplements to reduce menopausal hot flashes in breast cancer patients.

Publications

A pilot phase II trial of magnesium supplements to reduce menopausal hot flashes in breast cancer patients.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets