"Comparison of sexual function of people with colorectal cancer with and without colostomy bag in Tabriz hospitals 2022"

Abstract

Cancer is a family of diseases unique to multicellular organisms characterized by uncontrolled growth and proliferation of cells. Gastrointestinal Cancer is one of the most common cancers associated with high mortality. Colon and rectal cancer are among the most critical public health problems worldwide, so nearly one million new colon and rectal cancer cases are diagnosed every year, and nearly half of the cases die. In 1999, Laumann and his colleagues defined sexual dysfunction as a significant public health problem. Many people who have survived colorectal Cancer are sexually active. These people can have problems with their sexual performance due to reasons such as therapeutic surgeries, radiotherapy, or the presence of an ostomy. This study is descriptive-comparative. To conduct the above study, 252 patients with colorectal Cancer were included in the study by a convenient method based on the inclusion criteria and after obtaining informed consent. The data collection tools included the demographic information form, the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), and the Women's Sexual Function Index (FSFI). The validity and reliability of these questionnaires have already been measured. Statistical analyzes were performed using IBM SPSS statistics version 24. According to the results of statistical analysis, the IIEF total score for men with a colostomy is 26.17 ± 15.30 and without a colostomy, is 29.05 ± 17.14, as well as the total FSFI score for women with a colostomy, is 7.21 ± 6.40 and without a colostomy is 14.67 ± 9.10. There was no statistically significant difference in the sexual performance score of men with pouches compared to men without pouches (P > 0.05). The sexual performance score of women with bags compared to women without bags had a lower sexual performance score, which was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Therefore, an ostomy in women causes a drop in FSFI. Health planners at the macro level and health service providers at the micro level should be aware of the importance of this issue and provide timely interventions to improve sexual performance and pay special attention to those aspects of FSFI that are of great importance.