Hot Flushes After Breast Cancer: What Are Your Options?
A breast cancer diagnosis brings many changes, and for many women, one of the most difficult is the sudden onset of menopausal symptoms. Hot flushes and night sweats are particularly common after breast cancer and its treatment.
For some women, symptoms begin after stopping HRT at the time of diagnosis. For others, they develop as a side effect of treatments such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors. Chemotherapy or treatments that suppress ovarian function can also bring on an early menopause.
For some women, these symptoms are so severe that they disrupt sleep, affect work, mean changing clothes several times a day, or leave them feeling exhausted before the day has even begun.
While symptoms improve with time for some women, others continue to struggle for years, with a significant impact on their quality of life.
Why do hot flushes happen after breast cancer?
Many breast cancer treatments reduce the amount of oestrogen available in the body or block its effects. Although these treatments play an important role in reducing the risk of cancer recurrence, they can also trigger menopausal symptoms, even in women who had not yet reached menopause naturally.
Every woman's experience is different. Some develop only mild symptoms, while others find hot flushes and night sweats have a major impact on daily life.
What treatments are available?
Many women are surprised to learn that there are more treatment options than they realise.
For many years, women who could not take HRT were offered lifestyle advice, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and non-hormonal medications that were originally developed for other conditions. These include certain antidepressants and oxybutynin, which can reduce hot flushes for some women.
More recently, newer non-hormonal medicines have been developed specifically to treat menopausal hot flushes. Elinzanetant (Lynkuet) is one of these newer treatments and has now been licensed in the UK for moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms caused by adjuvant endocrine therapy for breast cancer. This is an important development for women experiencing troublesome hot flushes and night sweats while taking treatments such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors.
However, elinzanetant is currently only available privately and not yet routinely available on the NHS for this indication, as NICE's assessment is still in development.
There are also other non-hormonal approaches to consider, and the most appropriate treatment will depend on the individual. Your breast cancer diagnosis, current treatment and medications, medical history and your own priorities all need to be taken into account.
Alongside medication, practical lifestyle measures can also help reduce the impact of symptoms. Keeping cool, identifying individual triggers, maintaining a healthy weight, regular physical activity and prioritising good sleep may all help.
Which treatment is right for you?
There is rarely a single right answer.
The most appropriate treatment depends on several factors, including:
your type of breast cancer
whether your cancer was hormone receptor-positive
your current cancer treatment
your other medical conditions
any other medications you take
your own priorities and preferences
Because of this, treatment decisions are best made on an individual basis.
Who should you speak to?
If hot flushes are affecting your quality of life, don't assume you simply have to put up with them.
Speak to your breast care nurse, oncology team, GP or Macmillan nurse. They can review your symptoms, discuss which treatments may be appropriate and, where needed, refer you for specialist menopause support.
Although there is rarely one perfect solution, there are now more options available than many women realise, and a personalised discussion can help identify the approach that is most appropriate for you.
Further support
If you're experiencing menopause after breast cancer, we've also written a detailed resource (see below) that explores this topic in more depth, including the treatments that may be available and practical ways to manage symptoms.
At Lemala Health, we understand that navigating menopause after breast cancer can feel particularly challenging. While we do not replace your oncology team, we work alongside them to help women understand their options and make informed decisions about managing menopausal symptoms safely.
Article written by Dr Emma Ginns and Dr Mari Walling, British Menopause Society Registered Specialist GPs, Co-founders of Lemala Health, August 2026
This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider for personalised guidance.