Changes in self-reported hot flashes and their association with concurrent changes in insomnia symptoms among women with breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess longitudinally the relationship between hot flashes and insomnia symptoms in women receiving adjuvant treatments for breast cancer.

METHODS

Fifty-eight participants completed a 7-day daily diary assessing hot flashes, the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire, and the Insomnia Severity Index, before and after chemotherapy or radiotherapy and at a 3-month follow-up evaluation.

RESULTS

A first canonical correlation analysis (n = 55) revealed a marginally significant relationship between pretreatment versus posttreatment change scores in hot flashes and sleep (R = 0.39), and a second analysis (n = 51) showed a significant relationship between posttreatment and follow-up changes in hot flash activity and sleep (R = 0.59).

CONCLUSIONS

These results show that increases in vasomotor symptoms occurring within the few months after the termination of initial adjuvant treatments for breast cancer are significantly associated with concurrent increases in insomnia symptoms and vice versa.