Comparing Interventions for Management of Hot Flashes in Patients With Breast and Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analyses.

Problem Identification: Hot flashes are common and bothersome in patients with breast and prostate cancer and can adversely affect patients' quality of life.

Literature Search: Databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effects of one or more interventions for hot flashes in patients with a history of breast or prostate cancer.

Data Evaluation: Outcomes of interest included changes in hot flash severity, hot flash frequency, quality of life, and harms. Pairwise meta-analyses and network meta-analyses were performed where feasible, with narrative synthesis used where required.

Synthesis: 40 RCTs were included. Findings from network meta-analysis for hot flash frequency suggested that several therapies may offer benefits compared to no treatment, but little data suggested differences between active therapies. Findings from network meta-analysis for hot flash score were similar.

Implications For Research: Although many interventions may offer improvements for hot flashes versus no treatment, minimal data suggest important differences between therapies.

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