(SGB) in Men Treated for Prostate Cancer Improve Hot Flashes
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2024-07-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) is a critical component of advanced prostate cancer
treatment but causes numerous adverse effects including decreased bone mass, decreased muscle
mass, gynecomastia, erectile dysfunction, loss of sexual desire, depression, disordered
sleep, urinary symptoms, and hot flashes (HF). HF are unpleasant paroxysmal episodes of
flushing, sweating with vasodilation of the face, neck, and chest. These episodes can last
for seconds to minutes and are often associated with night sweats, anxiety, and insomnia and
have negative effects on quality of life.
Stellate ganglion blockade (SGB) with local anesthetic may be an effective treatment of HF in
men on ADT, but has not been studied in any published clinical trials.
The stellate ganglion is a neural structure in the anterior cervical spine region and is part
of the sympathetic nervous system. It has been injected safely in the practice of pain
management for more than 50 years in cases of post herpetic neuralgia (shingles), complex
regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and other painful neuropathies as well as some types of cardiac
dysrhythmias.
Given the frequency and severity and interference of HF in men on ADT for prostate cancer, in
addition to the negative effects HF impose on this patient population and a paucity of
effective treatments, finding alternative treatments for HF in this population is needed.