Abstract ES8-1: ES8-1 Managing the aftermath of estrogen deprivation in survivors

Endocrine therapy is the most important systemic treatment for women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, resulting in substantial risk reduction and improvements in survival. Yet, the strategies to reduce or block estrogen including ovarian suppression or ablation, aromatase inhibition or tamoxifen can all lead to symptoms and long-term toxicities associated with estrogen deprivation. The effect of long-term estrogen deprivation on bone, heart and brain health may lead to substantial morbidity and should be considered when making treatment decisions and managed in follow-up. However, even less serious daily symptoms including hot flashes, mood changes, insomnia, weight gain, vaginal dryness and sexual dysfunction can lead to profound negative long term effects on a patient and her relationships. Thus even these more minor concerns should be considered and managed proactively for patient overall health and well-being. For serious co-morbidity risks, attention to optimizing risk factors and monitoring when appropriate (e.g., DEXA scan) is prudent. For symptom management, it is generally recommended that survivors forgo estrogen replacement therapy although sometimes a low dose, short course of replacement therapy is necessary. Otherwise, strategies include a multi-prong approach focusing not only on improving particular symptoms, but also on mitigating the downstream effects and emotional impact. Evidence-based strategies for management of vaginal dryness, hot flashes...
Source: Cancer Research - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Invited Speaker Abstracts Source Type: research