The Characteristics of Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer and the Occurrence, Frequency and Severity of Oncology Treatment-Induced Hot Flushes: An investigation into a Relationship

Gallagher, Susan F.

The Characteristics of Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer and the Occurrence, Frequency and Severity of Oncology Treatment-Induced Hot Flushes: An investigation into a Relationship

Gallagher, Susan F.

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Publication Type:: Thesis
Issue Date:: 2022

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Gallagher, Susan F.
dc.date.accessioned	2022-11-25T04:29:53Z
dc.date.available	2022-11-25T04:29:53Z
dc.date.issued	2022
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/163750
dc.description	University of Technology Sydney. Faculty of Science.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.description.abstract	𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: The five-year survival rate for Australian women with breast cancer has increased and in 2021 it is at 91%. With the growth in survival comes an increase in the number of women living with the often debilitating side effects of oncology treatment, such as hot flushes (HFs). However, treatment options for HFs are limited. Acupuncture has been successfully trialled as a safe non-pharmacological option for controlling HFs, however the benefits reported have been variable among individuals. This research gathered information on the characteristics of women diagnosed with breast cancer to ascertain whether specific characteristics are predictors of occurrence, frequency and/or severity of HFs. It also investigates the relationship between patient characteristics and response to acupuncture and presents a design for a feasibility trial. 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱: A 38 question survey was distributed on-line through Register4 and in two leading Sydney hospitals. The cohort studied was women who have been treated for breast cancer and either did or did not experience HFs. Survey data was analysed using the statistical package STATA/SE 16.0. A literature review was performed to identify the optimal acupuncture protocol to manage these symptoms. The data from the survey and the literature review were utilised to design a feasibility trial. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀: The survey results showed that in women with breast cancer, chemotherapy and hormone therapy were strong predictors of HF occurrence, respectively (OR = 2.82; 95% CI = 1.18, 6.73; p = 0.020, OR = 7.26; 95% CI = 2.91, 18.12; p = <0.001). Chemotherapy was also a significant predictor of HF frequency along with the level of education reached. Premenopausal status and increased self-reported anxiety were significant predictors of HF frequency and severity. The feasibility trial standardised acupuncture protocol proposes acupuncture manual therapy for 20 minutes, once per week. A needle diameter of 0.30 mm and needle retention time of 20 minutes with the inclusion of the ‘deqi’ sensation were also specified. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: Predictive impact is a relevant and significant question for HFs in women diagnosed with breast cancer for a number of different reasons: the clinical implications with efficient use of finite resources; improving the success rate of reducing the impact of HFs; and finally, the humanistic perspective of improving quality of life. In summary, 45 to 54 year old women with breast cancer who may be premenopausal, receiving chemotherapy and/or hormone therapy and experiencing anxiety, will require more proactive support to manage HFs.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.format	Thesis (MSc)
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US.UTF-8
dc.relation	https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/163750/2/02whole.pdf
dc.rights	The author owns the copyright in this thesis including all reproduction and reuse rights for the work. The work may not be altered without the permission of the copyright owner. Attribution is essential when quoting or paraphrasing from this thesis.
dc.rights	au.edu.uts.lib/ppc
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.title	The Characteristics of Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer and the Occurrence, Frequency and Severity of Oncology Treatment-Induced Hot Flushes: An investigation into a Relationship	en_US.UTF-8
dc.type	Thesis
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*

Abstract:

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: The five-year survival rate for Australian women with breast cancer has increased and in 2021 it is at 91%. With the growth in survival comes an increase in the number of women living with the often debilitating side effects of oncology treatment, such as hot flushes (HFs). However, treatment options for HFs are limited. Acupuncture has been successfully trialled as a safe non-pharmacological option for controlling HFs, however the benefits reported have been variable among individuals. This research gathered information on the characteristics of women diagnosed with breast cancer to ascertain whether specific characteristics are predictors of occurrence, frequency and/or severity of HFs. It also investigates the relationship between patient characteristics and response to acupuncture and presents a design for a feasibility trial. 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱: A 38 question survey was distributed on-line through Register4 and in two leading Sydney hospitals. The cohort studied was women who have been treated for breast cancer and either did or did not experience HFs. Survey data was analysed using the statistical package STATA/SE 16.0. A literature review was performed to identify the optimal acupuncture protocol to manage these symptoms. The data from the survey and the literature review were utilised to design a feasibility trial. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀: The survey results showed that in women with breast cancer, chemotherapy and hormone therapy were strong predictors of HF occurrence, respectively (OR = 2.82; 95% CI = 1.18, 6.73; p = 0.020, OR = 7.26; 95% CI = 2.91, 18.12; p = <0.001). Chemotherapy was also a significant predictor of HF frequency along with the level of education reached. Premenopausal status and increased self-reported anxiety were significant predictors of HF frequency and severity. The feasibility trial standardised acupuncture protocol proposes acupuncture manual therapy for 20 minutes, once per week. A needle diameter of 0.30 mm and needle retention time of 20 minutes with the inclusion of the ‘deqi’ sensation were also specified. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: Predictive impact is a relevant and significant question for HFs in women diagnosed with breast cancer for a number of different reasons: the clinical implications with efficient use of finite resources; improving the success rate of reducing the impact of HFs; and finally, the humanistic perspective of improving quality of life. In summary, 45 to 54 year old women with breast cancer who may be premenopausal, receiving chemotherapy and/or hormone therapy and experiencing anxiety, will require more proactive support to manage HFs.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/163750