Hypnosis eases post-breast cancer hot flashes

By Anne Harding

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Hypnosis can help reduce hot flashes among breast cancer survivors, new research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology shows.

The authors of the report note that "hot flashes are a significant problem for many breast cancer survivors." The new findings are particularly important because the current best treatment for hot flashes, estrogen therapy, is off limits for most women who have had breast cancer.

Furthermore, many women must take estrogen-blocking drugs like tamoxifen for years after breast cancer treatment, but "hot flashes can be so severe that some women make a decision to not continue those medications," Dr. Gary Elkins told Reuters Health.

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