L’évolution des liens entre cancer et sexualité : revue critique de la littérature

[Sexual health in cancer care: A cross-section of patients and professionals from a patient association]

Sexual health is a central aspect of the well-being and quality of life of cancer patients. Through two separate surveys, one conducted among patients and the other among professionals, we assessed the needs and practices relating to sexual health in cancer care. The results showed that the importance attached to taking intimate and sexual life into account was fairly high, but that 44% of patients had discussed the subject with a professional, and the majority had done so on their own initiative. The types of support requested were a dedicated consultation (38%) and exchanges with other people with cancer (21%). More than half of the professionals did not discuss sexual health with their patients. The needs identified were specific training, time to exchange and share experiences with other professionals, and resources (documentation, reference websites). Professional training and appropriate tools seem necessary to meet patients' expectations.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Pilot Psychometric Validation of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer-Quality of Life Questionnaire-Sexual Health (EORTC QLQ-SH22) Scale, Moroccan Arabic Version

BACKGROUND

The Sexual Health Scale (QLQ-SH22) is the only cancer-specific measure of sexual health. It has never been translated into Arabic. In order to envisage effective healthcare strategies that improve sexual quality of life, the validation of the Moroccan version of this scale is a crucial step in exploring the influence of cancer and its treatment on patients in the Moroccan context. In this regard, this study aimed to validate a Moroccan Arabic version among patients with cancer.

METHOD

A total of 280 Moroccan patients with cancer participated in this study from August 2022 to April 2023. The translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the QLQ-SH22 was performed following the EORTC guidelines. Psychometric validation was explored using the reliability of internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA).

RESULTS

The analysis revealed a greater internal consistency for both sexual satisfaction (α = 0.83) and sexual pain (α = 0.86). The intraclass correlation coefficient indicated an excellent level of test-retest reliability (from 0.925 to 0.993). The CFA demonstrated high-performing model fit indices (χ2/df = 1.17, SRMR = 0.05, RMSEA = 0.035, GFI = 0.94, CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.99, IFI = 0.99, NFI = 0.94). The concurrent validity between the QLQ-C30 and QLQ-SH22 confirmed a strong correlation between the fatigue scales in both questionnaires (r = 0.69). This version showed good discrimination between known groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The QLQ-SH22 Moroccan Arabic version has demonstrated a high level of reliability and validity, and therefore it is now ready for use.