Sweats
Overview
Causes
Treatments
Sweats
Hot flashes
General Treatments to Relieve Symptoms
Overview
Sweat is made by sweat glands in the skin. Sweating helps to keep the body
cool and can occur with disease or fever, when in a warm environment,
exercising, or as part of hot flashes experienced with menopause. Most breast cancer and prostate cancer patients report having moderate-to-severe
hot flashes. Distressing hot flashes seem to be less frequent and gradually
decrease with time in most postmenopausal women who do not have
breast cancer. Hot flashes occur in most men with prostate cancer who have had surgery to
remove the testicles or who receive drugs to stop the testicles from making testosterone.
Causes
Sweats in the cancer patient may be associated with the tumor, cancer
treatment, or other medical conditions that are not related to the cancer.
Sweats are a typical symptom of certain types of tumors such as Hodgkin lymphoma, pheochromocytoma, or tumors involving the nervous system and endocrine
system. Sweats may also be caused by:
Treatments
Sweats
Treatment of sweats caused by fever is directed at the underlying cause of the
fever. (Refer to the fever Treatment section for more information.) Sweats
caused by a tumor are usually controlled by treatment of the tumor.
Hot flashes
Hot flashes associated with natural or treatment-related menopause can be
effectively controlled with estrogen replacement. Many women are not able to
take estrogen replacement (for example, women with breast cancer). Hormone replacement therapy that combines estrogen with progestin may increase the risk of breast cancer or breast cancer recurrence.
Studies of non-estrogen drugs to treat hot flashes have reported that many of them are not as effective as estrogen replacement or have
unwanted side effects. The most effective of these include megestrol (a drug similar to progesterone) and certain antidepressants, including venlafaxine. It is important to know that some antidepressants may change how other drugs, such as tamoxifen, work in the body. Soy and black cohosh have not proven to be helpful in relieving hot flashes. Soy contains estrogen-like substances; the effect of soy on the risk of breast cancer growth or recurrence is not clear.
Relaxation training has been found to decrease
hot flash discomfort in postmenopausal women who are in general good health.
Treatment of hot flashes in men may include estrogens, progesterone, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants. Certain hormones (such as estrogen) can make some cancers grow. The effect of hormone use on the growth of prostate cancer is being studied.
General Treatments to Relieve Symptoms
A variety of other medications are being used for general treatment of
cancer-related sweats. The use of loose-fitting cotton clothing, fans, and
behavioral techniques such as relaxation training is also recommended.
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