Impact of pelvic radiotherapy on female sexuality

Abstract

Purpose To assess physical and psychological morbidity, sexual functioning and social and relationship satisfaction among women treated with pelvic radiotherapy. Methods Observational (case-control) study of 199 women: 98 submitted to pelvic radiotherapy for the treatment of uterine, rectal or anal cancers and 101 without a personal history of cancer and similar socio-demographic variables. These completed a socio-demographic and Results Women submitted to pelvic irradiation reported a higher rate of adverse physical symptoms in the last month: fatigue 59 versus 25% (p \ 0.001), lack of strength 42 versus 20% (p = 0.001), diarrhoea 24 versus 12% (p = 0.032), vaginal discharge 17 versus 7% (p = 0.024), skin erythema 9 versus 2% (p = 0.026). Levels of depression, anxiety and stress were higher among radiotherapy patients, but only reach statistical significance for the stress parameter (6.1 vs. 4.0, p = 0.012). Also these women reported lower scores of satisfaction with social support (57.2 vs. 62.2, p = 0.005) and sexual function (8.5 vs. 13.5, p = 0.049). No statistically significant differences occurred between the two groups regarding scores of relationship satisfaction (20.8 vs. 19.9, p = n.s.). Conclusions Our results suggested that pelvic radiotherapy had a negative impact on female sexuality. Thus, interventions that would help to reduce this impact need to be designed and integrated into routine clinical practice.

Radiotherapy- or Radical Surgery–Induced Female Sexual Morbidity in Stages IB and II Cervical Cancer

“…Their own FSFI total and domain scores were significantly lower than those in the study group, with the exception of satisfaction, and desire was the most compromised. 18 In this study, 52.0% of patients in the RT group were older than 60 years. Frumovitz et al 17 described that using the FSFI, all domains of sexual function except desire were significantly lower in patients treated with RT.…”

“…With regard to each domain score of FSFI, Rodrigues et al 18 reported on 98 women after pelvic RT, of which 82 had cervical or uterine cancer, and who were compared with women undergoing routine cervical cancer screening. Their own FSFI total and domain scores were significantly lower than those in the study group, with the exception of satisfaction, and desire was the most compromised.…”

Evaluación de las alteraciones psicológicas y de la calidad de vida en pacientes con cáncer colorrectal localizado

“…Varios estudios describió a las pacientes femeninas que experimentaron cirugía pélvica sentía que su vagina era inelástica y demasiado corta durante las relaciones sexuales (Bergmark, Avall-Lundqvist, Dickman, Henningsohn, y Steineck, 1999;Platell, Thompson, y Makin, 2004). La radioterapia también puede comprometer la función sexual en las pacientes con cáncer rectal (Rodrigues et al, 2012). Un estudio noruego comparó la función sexual en las mujeres después de radioterapia para el cáncer rectal.…”

Survivorship: Sexual Dysfunction (Female), Version 1.2013

“…12,13 Sexual dysfunction after cancer treatment is common in female survivors. 4,14-20 A survey of 221 survivors of vaginal and cervical cancer found that the prevalence of sexual problems was significantly higher among survivors than among age- and race-matched controls from the National Health and Social Life Survey (mean number of problems 2.6 vs 1.1; P <.001). 18 A survey of survivors of ovarian germ cell tumors and age-, race-, and education-matched controls found that survivors reported a significant decrease in sexual pleasure.…”