Dr. Ganz on the Symptoms Related to Estrogen in Breast Cancer

Patricia Ganz, MD, UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the symptoms related to estrogen hormones that can cause more implications for women with breast cancer, including menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, trouble sleeping, and fatigue.

These symptoms can also impact cognitive functions in patients with breast cancer. These symptoms can be brought on by premature menopause caused by chemotherapy with no endocrine therapy; patients who experience the most symptoms received chemotherapy, developed menopause, then received endocrine therapy, says Ganz.

Sustained inflammation may also appear in these individuals and is associated with more symptoms. Many symptoms appear to be related and co-occurring, such as insomnia that may cause inflammation to persist and persistent insomnia that leads to depression. The symptoms are accelerated and increased in these women treated for breast cancer, Ganz concludes.

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