Three Different Programs of Paced Breathing in Treating Hot Flashes in Women
Breast Cancer, Fatigue, Hot Flashes
About this trial
This is an interventional supportive care trial for Breast Cancer focused on measuring fatigue, sleep disorders, ductal breast carcinoma in situ, lobular breast carcinoma in situ, breast cancer, hot flashes
Eligibility Criteria
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
History of breast cancer including ductal carcinoma in situ or lobular carcinoma in situ
- Treated with surgery and/or adjuvant therapy with a curative intent or patients not preferring to take hormones because of concern for breast cancer
- Frequent hot flashes (≥ 14 per week) of sufficient severity to make the patient desire treatment
- Presence of hot flashes for ≥ 1 month prior to study entry
- Hormone receptor status not specified
PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0 or 1
- Pre- or post-menopausal
- Must possess a compact disc (CD) player
- Able to complete questionnaires alone or with assistance
- No active medical conditions preventing compliance with a practice of slow deep breathing including active asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or congestive heart failure
- No uncontrolled hypertension (defined as systolic blood pressure (BP) ≥ 160 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP ≥ 100 mm Hg on 2 separate visits)
PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
- No current (within the past month) practice of yoga or breathing exercises
No other concurrent agents for treating hot flashes (e.g., gabapentin, venlafaxine, paroxetine, citalopram, sertraline, natural products such as soy or sage supplements, flaxseed, or black cohosh)
- Concurrent stable dose antidepressants started within the past 30 days allowed
- No concurrent hormonal agents and/or antineoplastic chemotherapy - Tamoxifen, raloxifene, and aromatase inhibitors are allowed if patient has been on a constant dose for ≥ 4 weeks and does not plan to stop the treatment during the course of the study
Sites / Locations
- Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Arm 3
Active Comparator
Active Comparator
Placebo Comparator
Paced breathing (15 min once daily, 6 breaths/min)
Paced breathing (15 min twice daily, 6 breaths/min)
Paced breathing (10 min once daily, 14 breaths/min)
Patients practice paced breathing for 15 minutes once daily, 6 breaths/min, 5-7 days weekly, following an instructional CD, for 8 weeks.
Patients practice paced breathing for 15 minutes twice daily, 6 breaths/min, 5-7 days weekly, following an instructional CD, for 8 weeks.
Patients practice paced breathing for 10 minutes once daily, 14 breaths /min, 5-7 days weekly, following an instructional CD, for 8 weeks.