Description
Night sweats can be a side effect of cancer treatment or a symptom of certain cancers. Night sweats are part of a variety of symptoms referred to as vasomotor. Vasomotor symptoms stem from the body's thermoregulatory center, which is affected by circulating hormones.
Women may undergo oophorectomy (the surgical removal of one or both ovaries), either for ovarian cancer or when accompanied by hysterectomy for endometrial cancer or uterine sarcoma, as part of their cancer treatment. Pelvic radiation may also damage the ovaries. Removal or permanent damage to the ovaries results in
Vasomotor symptoms such as night sweats add to the existing stress for individuals undergoing cancer treatment, as they can reduce the quality of sleep, make daily life very uncomfortable, and decrease the quality of life.
Night sweats can be a sign of infection in the immuno-compromised cancer patient, as well as being a symptom of undiagnosed cancer and early AIDS. Drenching night sweats may be a sign of Hodgkin's or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, both in children as well as in adults. Night sweats may also be present with liver hemangioma tumors. Generalized symptoms such as night sweats, fever, chills and sweating are sometimes referred to as B symptoms. Night sweats have also been associated with malignant melanoma and with metastatic compression of the optic nerve. Children who are ultimately diagnosed with a malignancy may present to a rheumatologist with a variety of symptoms, including night sweats. Night sweats in the absence of explained fever or perimenopause should be brought to the attention of one's health care provider for evaluation.
