RATIONALE: Gabapentin may be effective for the control of hot flashes. It is not yet known if gabapentin is effective in treating hot flashes.

PURPOSE: Randomized clinical trial to study the effectiveness of gabapentin in controlling hot flashes in women who have breast cancer.

OBJECTIVES:

• Compare the effectiveness and side effects of 2 different doses of gabapentin vs placebo for the control of hot flashes and other vasomotor symptoms in women with breast cancer.
• Compare quality of life, anxiety, and depression in patients treated with these regimens.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to participating center and duration of hot flash symptoms (less than 9 months vs 9 or more months). Patients are randomized to 1 of 3 arms.

• Arm I: Patients receive oral placebo 3 times a day.
• Arm II: Patients receive oral gabapentin at a low dose 3 times a day.
• Arm III: Patients receive oral gabapentin as in arm II for 3 days and then at a high dose 3 times a day.

Treatment on all arms continues for 8 weeks in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. After week 8, patients may receive open-label gabapentin at the discretion of their physicians.

Hot flashes are assessed at baseline and then during weeks 3 and 7 of the study.

Quality of life, anxiety, and depression are assessed at baseline and then at weeks 4 and 8.

Patients are followed at week 12.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 408 patients (136 per arm) will be accrued for this study within 18 months.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of breast cancer

• Experiencing 2 or more hot flashes per day for at least 1 week

• Hormone receptor status:

  • Not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• Not specified

Sex:

• Female

Menopausal status:

• Not specified

Performance status:

• Not specified

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Not specified

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin normal
• SGOT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 1.25 times ULN

Cardiovascular:

• No coronary insufficiency
• No myocardial infarction within the past 3 months
• No symptomatic cardiac disease
• No peripheral vascular disease
• No cerebrovascular disease or stroke
• No syncope or symptomatic hypotension

Other:

• No history of allergic or other adverse reaction to gabapentin
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 1 week after study

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Not specified

Chemotherapy

• Not specified

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• Not specified

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• No other concurrent anticonvulsant medication
• No concurrent clonidine or venlafaxine