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Our 24/7 cancer helpline provides support for people dealing with cancer. We can connect you with trained cancer information specialists who will answer questions about a cancer diagnosis and provide guidance and a compassionate ear.
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At our National Cancer Information Center trained Cancer Information Specialists can answer questions 24 hours a day, every day of the year to empower you with accurate, up-to-date information to help you make educated health decisions. We connect patients, caregivers, and family members with valuable services and resources.
Or ask us how you can get involved and support the fight against cancer. Some of the topics we can assist with include:
For medical questions, we encourage you to review our information with your doctor.
Managing hot flashes and sweating might include taking medicines to treat the underlying cause of the symptoms, if possible, or medicines to help with the symptoms themselves. Making certain lifestyle changes might be helpful as well. Talk to your cancer care team about the right treatment for you.
Sometimes medicines can be used to help with hot flashes. These can be classified as either non-hormone therapy or hormone therapy. Because every person's situation is different, it's important to talk to your cancer care team about what might be best for you.
Certain vitamins, minerals, and other supplements have been suggested as being helpful for sweating and hot flashes. Some might help, but it's important to talk with your doctor about whether they are safe for you to take.
Medicines containing hormones might be prescribed to replace the hormones that have been lost because of surgery or other treatments. Whether this might be an option for you depends on the type and stage of your cancer, as well as other factors. It's important to talk with your doctor about your situation, about the pros and cons of taking these drugs, and the side effects they might cause if your treatment plan includes them.
Lifestyle changes that might be helpful in reducing hot flashes or sweating for some people include:
Take medicine to reduce fever, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), if your health care team says it's OK for you to do so. Depending on what is causing your sweating or hot flashes, there may be different ways you can help manage them.
The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team
Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.
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National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). Clinical practice guidelines in oncology: Survivorship. Version 2.2019. Accessed at www.nccn.org on January 6, 2020.
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Last Revised: May 17, 2023
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