BACKGROUND Hot flushes are common in women with a history of breast cancer. Hormonal therapies are known to reduce these symptoms but are not recommended in women with a history of breast cancer due to their potential adverse effects. The efficacy of non-hormonal therapies is still uncertain. OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy of non-hormonal therapies in reducing hot flushes in women with a history of breast cancer. METHODS Search methods: We searched the Cochrane Breast Cancer Group Specialised Register, CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library), Medline, Embase, Lilacs, CINAHL, PsycINFO (August 2008) and WHO ICTRP Search Portal. We handsearched reference lists of reviews and included articles, reviewed conference proceedings and contacted experts. Selection criteria: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing non-hormonal therapies with placebo or no therapy for reducing hot flushes in women with a history of breast cancer. Data collection and analysis: Two authors independently selected potentially relevant studies, decided upon their inclusion and extracted data on participant characteristics, interventions, outcomes and the risk of bias of included studies. MAIN RESULTS Sixteen RCTs met our inclusion criteria. We included six studies on selective serotonin (SSRI) and serotonin-norepinephrine (SNRI) reuptake inhibitors, two on clonidine, one on gabapentin, two each on relaxation therapy and homeopathy, and one each on vitamin E, magnetic devices and acupuncture. The risk of bias of most studies was rated as low or moderate. Data on continuous outcomes were presented inconsistently among studies, which precluded the possibility of pooling the results. Three pharmacological treatments (SSRIs and SNRIs, clonidine and gabapentin) reduced the number and severity of hot flushes. One study assessing vitamin E did not show any beneficial effect. One of two studies on relaxation therapy showed a significant benefit. None of the other non-pharmacological therapies had a significant benefit. Side-effects were inconsistently reported. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Clonidine, SSRIs and SNRIs, gabapentin and relaxation therapy showed a mild to moderate effect on reducing hot flushes in women with a history of breast cancer.

Background: Asthma is one of the chronic diseases that generate an impact on quality of life and major health care expenses. Aim: To evaluate the impact of asthma on primary attention expenses, the health related quality of life (HRQOL) and the sanitary resources use. Material and Methods: Follow up of a cohort of 56 asthmatic children aged 6 to 14 years (56% women), during 12 months. The severity and the impact of the disease on HRQOL was assessed using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) video questionnaire and the Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) respectively Costs were derived from the number of medical attentions, hospital admissions, medication requirements, school absenteeism among patients and work absenteeism among caregivers. Results: Patients required twice the number of medical attentions than the general population. Fourteen percent of children had severe asthma. Compared with subjects without severe asthma, the latter required more attentions (3.8 and 9.7 attentions per year respectively, p< 0.01), had a lower PAQLQ score (4.1 ±0.11 and 5.2 ± 1 respectively, p< 0.05) and a higher school absenteeism (10 and 27 days per year respectively, p < 0.01). Medication use was not different between patients with and without severe asthma. They early cost per patient was $ 106,550 (Chilean pesos). Conclusions: Asthma has a great impact on HRQOL and the use of primary attention resources, specially those children with severe asthma.