Hot flashes rank as one of the most frequent and disruptive adverse reactions to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) among men treated for prostate cancer. In the absence of an established standard therapy, more studies are needed to establish safe and effective management options. This randomized controlled trial involved prostate cancer patients on ADT who were randomly assigned to receive either chicory-fumitory syrup (derived from hydroalcoholic extracts of chicory and fumitory) or megestrol. Subjects logged the daily frequency and intensity of hot flashes for one week before starting treatment (baseline). They then took the assigned intervention—syrup (5 mL twice daily) or megestrol (20 mg twice daily)—for four weeks while maintaining the diary. The study was completed by 69 participants (35 in the chicory-fumitory arm and 34 in the megestrol arm). After four weeks, the chicory-fumitory group experienced a 38.19% reduction in mean daily hot flash frequency (p=0.004) and a 44.39% drop in hot flash score (p=0.008). The megestrol group showed a 68.93% decline in frequency (p<0.001) and a 67.47 reduction in score (p=0.001). Independent samples t-test revealed significantly greater improvements in both frequency and severity in the megestrol arm compared to the chicory-fumitory arm (p=0.001 and p=0.021, respectively). Chicory-fumitory syrup provides meaningful relief from hot flashes in prostate cancer patients on ADT, though megestrol achieved markedly superior reductions in both frequency and intensity. Larger trials with extended treatment duration are warranted to further evaluate the potential of chicory and fumitory in this setting.
