In the journals: Nerve block quells hot flashes in women with breast cancer
In the journals
Nerve block quells hot flashes in women with breast cancer
Hot flashes and sleep disturbances are a common and often severe side effect of drugs used to treat and prevent breast cancer, including tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors. Estrogen is the best way to relieve hot flashes, but it can fuel breast cancer growth, so women who've had breast cancer or are at increased risk for it should usually avoid hormone therapy. Other options — less effective and with side effects of their own — include herbal therapies and prescription medications such as antidepressants and the anti-epileptic drug gabapentin. Now, in a small pilot study of breast cancer survivors, researchers have found they can nearly eliminate severe hot flashes and nighttime awakenings, with virtually no side effects, by anesthetizing certain nerves in the neck — a procedure called stellate ganglion blockade (SGB). The findings, published in Lancet Oncology (June 2008), may also have implications for menopausal women with disabling hot flashes.
While its application to hot flashes is relatively new, SGB has been safely used for years to relieve pain in the face, head, neck, and upper arm. During the procedure, an anesthetic is injected into the stellate ganglion (see illustration), a cluster of nerve cells in the neck that help regulate blood flow and are linked to brain regions involved in body temperature regulation.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.