Evaluation of Homeopathic Treatment for Hot Flashes in Non Metastatic Breast Cancer

Chemotherapy is used as an adjuvant treatment for breast cancer, like hormone therapy in patients with hormone-sensitive breast cancer or immunotherapy in those with Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2 (HER2)-overexpressing cancer. These adjuvant treatments reduce the risk of recurrence and metastasis. The side effects of hormone therapy are known and depend on the therapeutic strategy and the drugs used. The side effects of Tamoxifen are similar to menopausal symptoms: hot flashes (half of the female population), vaginal dryness or leukorrhea, nausea, irregular menstruation, benign ovarian cyst and, less frequently, weight gain. Aromatase inhibitors have the same side effects, though with lesser frequency and intensity. The incidence rate of hot flashes after adjuvant treatment in menopausal women with localized breast cancer is 60 to 65 %, and these reactions are very severe in one third of these women. Despite this fact, the management of hot flashes is not systematic and there is currently no therapeutic strategy with proven efficiency. BRN01 (Boiron laboratory) is a homeopathic remedy whose active ingredient is already present in other homeopathic drugs indicated for the management of menopausal hot flashes. BRN01 could reduce the intensity of the reaction in women with breast cancer receiving adjuvant hormonal treatment.