A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of melatonin on breast cancer survivors: impact on sleep, mood, and hot flashes
Open accessAbstract
The purpose is to examine the effects of melatonin supplementation on sleep, mood, and hot flashes in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 95 postmenopausal women with a prior history of stage 0-III breast cancer, who had completed active cancer treatment (including hormonal therapy) were randomly assigned 1:1 to either 3 mg oral melatonin (n = 48) or placebo daily (n = 47) for 4 months. Sleep, mood, and hot flashes were assessed at baseline and 4 months via self-administered questionnaire using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D), and the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) hot flash diary, respectively. Eighty-six women (91 %) completed the study and provided pre- and post-questionnaires. At baseline, 52 % of participants reported poor sleep in the month prior to enrollment. Compared to subjects on placebo, subjects randomized to melatonin experienced significantly greater improvements in subjective sleep quality as measured by the PSQI, including domains on sleep quality, daytime dysfunction and total score. For example, the mean change in PSQI score was -0.1 in the placebo group compared to -1.9 in the melatonin group (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in measures of depression or hot flashes. Sleep disturbances are common among breast cancer survivors, even after completion of active cancer treatment. This is the first randomized placebo-controlled study among breast cancer survivors to demonstrate that melatonin was associated with an improvement in subjective sleep quality, without any significant adverse effects.
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Melatonin may be used to treat sleep disturbances.
“Sleep disturbances may be treated with melatonin.122 , 123”
From 5th ESO-ESMO international consensus guidelines for advanced breast cancer (ABC 5) (2020) · cites this paper as [122]
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- Authors
- Chen, W. Y., Giobbie-Hurder, A., Gantman, K., Savoie, J., Scheib, R., Parker, L. M., & Schernhammer, E. S.
- Affiliations
- Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
- Mount Auburn Hospital (US)
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (US)
- Corresponding author
- Chen, Wendy Y.
- Venue
- Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
- Published
- 2014-04-10
- Volume
- 145
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 381-388
- ISSN
- 0167-6806 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-7217
- PMC
- PMC4060962
- OpenAlex
- W2024482156
- Cited by
- 130
- References
- 36
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 3
- FWCI
- 4.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Breast Cancer Research and Treatment (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- National Cancer Institute (R03CA123597)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Keywords
- melatonin supplementation, breast cancer survivors, sleep quality, hot flashes, mood, depression, postmenopausal women, sleep disorders, hormone therapy
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Affect, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Breast Neoplasms, Depression, Double-Blind Method, Female, Humans, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders, Melatonin, Middle Aged, Quality of Life, Treatment Outcome, Postmenopause, Survivors, Hot Flashes
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