Understanding and managing hot flashes related to cancer
Hot flashes are more than just uncomfortable. They can be exhausting, and emotionally draining, especially when you're already going through cancer treatment. Discover how to manage hot flashes during chemotherapy and find relief and improve your quality of life during cancer.
What you'll learn by reading this page:
Understanding what hot flashes are
Symptoms of hot flashes episodes
How different cancers and treatments induce hot flashes
Coping strategies to manage hot flashes during and after treatment
Understanding hot flashes during cancer treatment
Hot flashes are more than just uncomfortable. They can be exhausting, and emotionally draining, especially when you're already going through cancer treatment. For many, they appear unexpectedly and affect everything from sleep to confidence in daily life. Whether you're experiencing them for the first time or trying to understand what's happening to your body, knowing why hot flashes occur, and how to manage them, can help you feel more in control.
What are hot flashes during cancer treatment?
Sweating is our body's natural way to cool down by releasing heat through the skin. However, hot flashes are different from regular sweating. Hot flashes are a common and often disruptive symptom for many people undergoing cancer treatment, particularly chemotherapy. They involve a sudden sensation of warmth, often over the face, neck, and upper chest, and can make you feel flushed, turn red, and start sweating. They can, however, spread throughout the entire body as well. Some individuals experience this intense heat sensation extending to areas like the back, arms, and even legs. The intensity of hot flashes can vary, lasting a few minutes and occurring from a few times a week to several times a day. They can happen anytime, even during sleep, when they are called night sweats. Severe hot flashes and night sweats can disrupt sleep. While most people experience warmth and sweating, some may feel chills.
“The changes associated with menopause are mostly due to decreasing levels of female hormones (estrogen and progesterone) and male hormones to a lesser degree. These changes can affect how we feel almost immediately with common symptoms of hot flashes and night sweats”.
Lisa Jervis
Dr. Lisa Jervis, Medical Director
Common symptoms of hot flashes
Sudden warmth
A rapid onset of heat sensation, typically starting in the face, neck, and chest, but can spread throughout the body.
Flushing
Reddening of the skin, especially on the face and upper body.
Sweating
Increased perspiration, which can range from mild to profuse, and may occur during the day or as night sweats.
Chills
A sensation of coldness following the hot flash as the body cools down.
Rapid heartbeat
An accelerated or pounding heart rate during the episode.
Anxiety
Feelings of unease or nervousness accompanying the physical symptoms.
The intensity and combination of these symptoms can vary among individuals. Recognizing and understanding these diverse manifestations can aid in better management and communication with healthcare providers.
Struggling with hot flashes during or after cancer treatment?
We are here to help you manage symptoms, improve comfort, and feel more in control.
"The good news is that there are many integrative approaches to lifestyle choices and options to help with symptom management. No matter the cause of menopause, healthy lifestyle choices are always recommended when possible"
Dr. Lisa Jervis,
The After Cancer's care team
Hot flashes affect people differently
Although most people associate hot flashes with women in midlife, both women and men can experience them due to natural aging or medical conditions. In men, hot flashes are especially common among those treated for prostate cancer with hormone-suppressing therapies such as androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). In fact, studies estimate that 69% to 76% of men receiving ADT for prostate cancer experience hot flashes as a side effect. These symptoms can significantly impact sleep, mood, and quality of life, but they are often underrecognized in men. In women, hot flashes are most common during the menopause transition.
However, not everyone experiences them the same way. Factors such as age, body weight, education level, smoking, cardiovascular health, and genetics can all influence how often and how severely hot flashes occur.
Race and ethnicity also play a role. Data from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), which included over 16,000 participants, found major differences in hot flash and night sweat prevalence among racial and ethnic groups in the U.S.:
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46% of African-American women
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31% of White women
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21% of Latinas and Chinese-American women
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18% of Japanese women
These differences could reflect underlying physiological factors, such as genetics or metabolic risk, but may also involve cultural differences in how symptoms are experienced, interpreted, or reported. Some researchers believe that stress, diet, access to healthcare, and societal factors might also contribute to why some groups are more affected than others.
Understanding how hot flashes vary by gender, race, and individual risk factors is important. It helps healthcare providers offer more personalized and supportive care, whether for a woman going through menopause, or a man being treated for prostate cancer.
