Hypnosis in Treating Hot Flashes in Breast Cancer Survivors

OBJECTIVES: * Determine the efficacy of hypnosis in controlling hot flashes in women who are breast cancer survivors. * Determine the extent to which hypnotizability is related to the success of the hypnotherapy intervention. OUTLINE: This is a randomized, controlled study. Patients are stratified according to age, gender, race, and educational background. All patients complete a Hot Flash Daily Diary to record frequency and severity of hot flashes for 1 week. Patients are then randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. * Arm I (hypnotherapy): Patients undergo hypnotherapy once a week for 5 weeks. Patients complete the Hot Flash-Related Daily Interference Scale, the Hospital Depression and Anxiety Sub-scale, the CES Depression Scale, and the MOS-Sleep and Sexual Function Scales in week 5 after the last hypnotherapy intervention. Patients also complete another Hot Flash Daily Diary for 1 week in week 6 and are administered the Stanford Hypnotic Clinical Scale in week 7. * Arm II (control): Patients receive no contact for 4 weeks. Patients complete the questionnaires as in arm I in week 5. Patients also complete another Hot Flash Daily Diary for 1 week in week 6 and are administered the Stanford Hypnotic Clinical Scale in week 7. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 60 patients will be accrued for this study.