Cytoplasmic pollen extract for treatment of menopausal symptoms in breast cancer patients: a case series report

Objective: Menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes (HFs), night sweats, vaginal dryness, psychological symptoms, and sexual dysfunction are a significant issue in breast cancer (BC) survivors, especially in those with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) subtype. Since hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is not indicated in these patients due to its estrogenic activity, we sought to investigate the role of cytoplasmic pollen extract (Femal®) with non-estrogenic effects as an adjuvant treatment in BC women. Methods: This case series study included 12 women with HR+, eight with Luminal A and four with Luminal B cancers, with a median age of 47 years (range 37-53) who received cytoplasmic pollen extract for 3 months. Menopause symptomatology was monitored through the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) at the beginning of the treatment (T0) and at 90 days (T3). Tolerance was evaluated by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) score. Results: After 3 months of treatment, all cases had an improvement in HFs, cardiac symptoms, irritability and anxiety symptoms. No side effects were found. Tolerance and compliance were excellent during the study. Conclusions: This observational study suggests that cytoplasmic pollen extract is well tolerated when administered to BC (HR+) women with contraindications to HRT together with a positive impact on the patient’s menopausal related symptoms. However, longer follow-up afand future randomized studies are needed.

Cytoplasmic pollen extract; Menopausal symptoms; Breast cancer patients; Quality of life; Non-hormonal therapy

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