Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32458473›Full record

Trial reportPsycho-oncology2020

Effectiveness of nurse-led group CBT for hot flushes and night sweats in women with breast cancer: Results of the MENOS4 randomised controlled trial.

Deborah Fenlon, Tom Maishman, Laura Day, Jacqueline Nuttall, Carl May, Mary Ellis, James Raftery, Lesley Turner, Jo Fields, Gareth Griffiths and 1 more

Open access · hybridAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Psycho-oncology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
4.5field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 59 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Specialist breast care nurses for support of women with breast cancer.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021
    Pooled it
  6. Trial
  7. Trial
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  9. Trial
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Canadian oncology nursing journal = Revue canadienne de nursing oncologique · 2026
    Article
  13. Management of menopausal symptoms following treatment for hormone receptor positive breast cancer.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2025
    Article
  14. Article
  15. Review
  16. Review
  17. Article
  18. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Deborah FenlonDepartment Nursing, College of Human and Health Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-7347-8919
Tom MaishmanSouthampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Laura DayDepartment of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Jacqueline NuttallSouthampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Carl MayDepartment of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Mary EllisSouthampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
James RafteryPrimary Care and Population Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Lesley TurnerSouthampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Jo FieldsLadybird Unit, Poole Hospital NHS Trust, Poole, UK.
Gareth GriffithsSouthampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Myra S HunterDepartment of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
University of Southampton · GBLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GBKing's College London · GBPoole Hospital · GBSwansea University · GB

Funding

Breast Cancer Now 2015CR_004Cancer Research UK 25352
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTroublesome hot flushes and night sweats (HFNS) are experienced by many women after treatment for breast cancer, impacting significantly on sleep and quality of life. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is known to be effective for the alleviation of HFNS. However, it is not known if it can effectively be delivered by specialist nurses. We investigated whether group CBT, delivered by breast care nurses (BCNs), can reduce the impact of HFNS.

methodsWe recruited women with primary breast cancer following primary treatment with seven or more HFNS/week (including 4/10 or above on the HFNS problem rating scale), from six UK hospitals to an open, randomised, phase 3 effectiveness trial. Participants were randomised to Group CBT or usual care (UC). The primary endpoint was HFNS problem rating at 26 weeks after randomisation. Secondary outcomes included sleep, depression, anxiety and quality of life.

resultsBetween 2017 and 2018, 130 participants were recruited (CBT:63, control:67). We found a 46% (6.9-3.7) reduction in the mean HFNS problem rating score from randomisation to 26 weeks in the CBT arm and a 15% (6.5-5.5) reduction in the UC arm (adjusted mean difference -1.96, CI -3.68 to -0.23, P = .039). Secondary outcomes, including frequency of HFNS, sleep, anxiety and depression all improved significantly.

conclusionOur results suggest that specialist nurses can be trained to deliver CBT effectively to alleviate troublesome menopausal hot flushes in women following breast cancer in the NHS setting.

Indexed as

SweatingAdultAgedAnxietyBreast NeoplasmsCognitive Behavioral TherapyDepressionFemaleHot FlashesHumansMiddle AgedNursesPsychotherapy, GroupQuality of LifeSleepSurveys and Questionnairesbreast cancercancerCBThot flushesnight sweatsoncologyspecialist nurse

Identifiers

PMID32458473
PMCPMC7590063
OpenAlexW3030003671

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.