ACCRU News & Releases – December 19, 2018

The majority of middle-aged women suffer from the discomfort of hot flashes, a condition that can interfere with every aspect of a woman’s life. Breast cancer survivors are at even greater risk of suffering from hot flashes long term and are unable to take hormone replacement therapy, the most common form of treatment. That’s why Academic and Community Research United (ACCRU) investigators conducted a clinical trial to find a new treatment option.

The study showed that oxybutynin, a drug approved to treat overactive bladder, significantly reduced the frequency and severity of hot flashes and improved the quality of life for women who suffered from them, including breast cancer survivors who were receiving tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors.

“Almost all quality-of-life measures improved on oxybutynin, including mood, life enjoyment, sleep, social activities, and relationships,” says Roberto Leon Ferre, M.D., principal investigator for the study and an oncologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Dr. Leon Ferre presented ACCRU study SC-1603 results at the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

Charles Loprinzi, M.D., vice chair and Symptom Control scientific officer for ACCRU, is a senior author on the study.

Learn more about the study and watch a video of Dr. Leon Ferre explaining the study significance here.