Updated findings on the effects of stellate-ganglion block on hot flushes and night awakenings

Breast-cancer survivors frequently suffer from debilitating hot flushes. Treatments available up to now have not been uniformly successful in the alleviation or elimination of these hot flushes; therefore, we started using a simple and safe intervention aimed at blocking the underlying pathological processes—a unilateral stellate-ganglion block done as an outpatient procedure. 1 Lipov E Lipov S Stark JT Stellate ganglion blockade provides relief from menopausal hot flashes: a case report series. J Womens Health. 2005; 14: 737-741 Crossref Scopus (38) Google Scholar We postulated that the stellate-ganglion block provides relief of hot flushes by interrupting the CNS connections with the sympathetic nervous system, allowing the body's temperature-regulating mechanisms to reset. 2 Lipov EG Lipov S Joshi JR Santucci VD Slavin KV Beck Vigue SG Stellate ganglion block may relieve hot flashes by interrupting the sympathetic nervous system. Med Hypotheses. 2007; 69: 758-763 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (37) Google Scholar The initial findings of our pilot study 3 Lipov EG Joshi JR Sanders S et al. Effects of stellate-ganglion block on hot flushes and night awakenings in survivors of breast cancer: a pilot study. Lancet Oncol. 2008; 9: 523-532 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (88) Google Scholar published in the June issue of The Lancet Oncology, which included 13 breast-cancer survivors treated with stellate-ganglion block, conclusively showed a decrease in the frequency of hot flushes and their severity. The incidence of night awakenings that frequently accompany hot flushes was also greatly decreased. 3 Lipov EG Joshi JR Sanders S et al. Effects of stellate-ganglion block on hot flushes and night awakenings in survivors of breast cancer: a pilot study. Lancet Oncol. 2008; 9: 523-532 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (88) Google Scholar