Efficacy of interventions to manage sexual dysfunction in women with cancer: a systematic review

Psychological and interpersonal dimensions of sexual function and dysfunction: recommendations from the fifth international consultation on sexual medicine (ICSM 2024)

INTRODUCTION

Sexual health concerns are common and significantly impact quality of life, but many people do not seek treatment due to embarrassment and other barriers. A biopsychosocial model of assessment and treatment acknowledges the biological, psychological, and social contributors to sexual difficulties and suggests that all these domains should be evaluated.

OBJECTIVES

This paper provides an overview of the major psychological factors contributing to sexual difficulties and offer an evidence-based approach for primary care clinicians to assess and treat these issues.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature review was undertaken focusing on articles published since the last consultation in 2016. The study findings were synthesized, critiqued, authors assigned a Grading of Recommendation as Weak or Strong following a year-long process of discussions among the committee. When a particular well-established psychological practice was not evaluated in the literature, we assigned an expert opinion recommendation.

RESULTS

Since the 2015 ICSM, there have been a number of high-quality trials of psychological treatments addressing sexual dysfunctions, as well as meta-analyses and systematic reviews. In some domains, there is strong evidence of psychological treatment, and primary care providers should be aware of such approaches and refer when appropriate.

CONCLUSIONS

This paper offers a practical guide for primary care clinicians to understand the psychological factors underlying sexual dysfunction and outlining what approaches may be appropriate for this clinician, and when the patient should be referred to a specialist. We emphasize an evidence-based approach to managing sexual dysfunctions in primary care, allowing for timely interventions. A comprehensive evaluation of biopsychosocial factors is recommended to personalize psychological interventions to overall context, including chronic diseases, mental health issues, and relationship conflicts. The initial assessment is key to developing an individualized intervention plan, which may include psychoeducation, referral for cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, or couple therapy, and consideration of medical or digital health interventions.

Swedish national guidelines on urothelial carcinoma: 2024 update on advanced and metastatic disease

OBJECTIVE

To overview and summarise the Swedish National Guidelines on Urothelial Carcinoma 2024.

METHODS

A narrative review of the updated guidelines was performed, highlighting new treatment recommendations for advanced and metastasized disease.  Results: Compared to the previous guideline version, the current update includes recommendations for standardised radiological reporting when urothelial carcinomas are detected at CT-urography (CTU), to early identify locally advanced patients and accelerate the care pathway for these patients. The Swedish guidelines apply a more structured and liberal recommendation for the use of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography in patients with locally advanced urothelial carcinomas compared to the EAU-guidelines and recommend such examinations prior to transurethral resection. Improved outcomes for radical cystectomy in Sweden after centralised cystectomy care have led to a recommendation for performing more than six nephroureterectomies (NUs) per year for upper tract urothelial carcinomas (UTUC)-based associations with decreased use of invasive diagnostic modalities and better survival outcomes. Additionally, updated recommendations regarding adjuvant systemic therapies for muscle-invasive disease have been included. Whilst awaiting national regulatory approval for enfortumab vedotin/pembrolizumab, the present guideline version aligns with EAU-guidelines by endorsing cisplatin-gemcitabine-nivolumab as a new first-line treatment option in cisplatin-fit patients with unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS

The current version of the Swedish national guidelines on urothelial carcinoma introduces standardised reporting at CTU to facilitate early identification of advanced disease, includes recommendations for centralisation of NU for UTUC and updated recommendations for adjuvant systemic treatment of muscle-invasive disease and endorses cisplatin-gemcitabine-nivolumab as a new first-line treatment option for non-resectable locally advanced and metastatic disease.

Redefining sexual health after gynaecological cancer: Lived experiences from Gynea, a digital rehabilitation programme

BACKGROUND

Gynaecological cancer illness and treatment have a significant impact on women's sexual health and concerns regarding sexual health are known to be an unmet need in survivors. The digital support programme Gynea was designed to enhance women's health, including sexual health, after gynaecological cancer treatment. This study aimed to explore how cancer survivors experienced participation in Gynea.

METHODOLOGY

This is a phenomenological hermeneutic study. Individual, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore lived experiences. Twenty women were interviewed after completing the Gynea programme. The transcripts were analysed using Lindseth and Norberg's phenomenological hermeneutic method.

FINDINGS

Three main themes (with subthemes) emerged from the analysis: (1) A silent existential trauma; (2) Redefining sexual health; (3) Communicating with a partner about sexuality. The women redefined sexual health rather than just being sexual intercourse, being a rediscovery of the body. The women's increased awareness and understanding of their own sexual health empowered their communication about their sexuality with their partners. This was important for regaining sexual health and intimacy in their relationships.

CONCLUSION

Participation in Gynea helped to strengthen the women's sexual integrity. Knowledge and support empowered them to take care of their sexual needs and communicate these with their partners.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PATIENT CARE

Healthcare services and nurses need to be aware that sexual health is an existential state of being, in which good sexual health does not necessarily equate to sexual function, but rather to sexual empowerment. Digital support with nurse guidance can support women in caring for their sexual health after cancer illness by thematizing sexual health with a holistic approach and should be part of the medical treatment.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Twenty gynaecological cancer survivors contributed by sharing their experiences from the sexual health module in Gynea.

Clinical Practice Strategies to Address Sexual Health in Female Cancer Survivors

PURPOSE

The objectives of this narrative review are to describe (1) the evidence for interventions addressing four key issues affecting female sexual health in cancer populations (ie, low sexual desire, vulvovaginal symptoms, negative body image, and sexual partner relationships) that are ready or nearly ready for integration into practice and (2) the current state of patient-provider sexual health communication related to female sexual health as these findings could have implications for integrating sexual health into practice.

METHODS

A narrative review of recent intervention evidence for female cancer survivors' sexual health was conducted.

RESULTS

Strong evidence was found for behavioral interventions, such as psychosexual counseling and psychoeducation to treat concerns related to sexual health, including desire, body image, and sexual partner relationships. For partnered female survivors, couple-based psychosexual interventions have been found to be effective. There are no proven pharmacologic treatments for sexual-related concerns other than for vulvovaginal atrophy in female cancer survivors. Vaginal nonhormonal and low-dose hormonal agents are effective remedies for vulvovaginal symptoms. Laser treatment has not yet been fully evaluated. Sexual partners are a critical context for sexual health. Despite much need, discussions around this topic continue to be relatively infrequent. Recent technology-based interventions show promise in improving discussions around sexual health.

CONCLUSION

Effective interventions exist for many sexual health challenges for female survivors although more high-quality intervention research, particularly multimodal interventions, is needed. Many of the effective interventions are nonpharmacologic, and thus, evaluation of the use of digital delivery to improve access to these interventions is needed. Cancer care delivery research is urgently needed to translate existing effective interventions into practice, including strategies to improve patient-provider communication around this topic.

Priorities for alleviating menopausal symptoms after cancer

OBJECTIVE

To determine treatment priorities in women cancer patients attending a dedicated Menopausal Symptoms After Cancer service.

METHODS

Cancer type and stage were abstracted from medical records. Women ranked up to three symptoms as treatment priorities from the list "hot flushes/night sweats," "mood changes," "vaginal dryness or soreness," "sleep disturbances," "feeling tired or worn out (fatigue)," "sexual problems and/or pain with intercourse," "joint pain," and "something else" with free-text response. For each prioritized symptom, patients completed standardized patient-reported outcome measures to determine symptom severity and impact.

RESULTS

Of 189 patients, most had breast cancer (48.7%, n = 92), followed by hematological (25.8%, n = 49), gynecological (18.0%, n = 34), or colorectal (2.6%, n = 5). The highest (first-ranked) treatment priority was vasomotor symptoms (33.9%, n = 64), followed by fatigue (18.0%, n = 34), vaginal dryness/soreness (9.5%, n = 18), and sexual problems/pain with intercourse (9.5%, n = 18). Symptoms most often selected in the top three ("prioritized") were fatigue (57.7%, n = 109), vasomotor symptoms (57.1%, n = 108), and sleep disturbance (49.2%, n = 93). In patients who prioritized vasomotor symptoms, medians on the "problem," "distress," and "interference" dimensions of the Hot Flash Related Daily Interference Scale were, respectively, 6.0 (interquartile range [IQR], 5.0-8.0), 5.5 (IQR, 3.0-8.0), and 5.0 (IQR, 3.-7.0), indicating moderate severity. In patients who prioritized fatigue, the median Fatigue Scale score was 28 (IQR, 19-36), 37% worse than general population.

CONCLUSIONS

Vasomotor symptoms, fatigue, sexual problems, and vaginal dryness/soreness were the leading priorities for treatment. Understanding symptom severity and patient priorities will inform better care for this growing population.

Sexuality after breast cancer, how to provide a global and contemporary approach

Patients' sexuality is one of the major and most neglected impact of breast cancer (BC) and its treatment. Even though research is ongoing on the subject, sexuality issues are rarely taken into account and efficiently dealt with in clinical practice. The objective is to review the impact of BC and its treatment on modern women sexuality. In the literature, a heterogeneous level of advancement is notable in the different publishing countries depending on the cultural background; some countries simply do not publish on the matter, others mainly discuss the male partners and practicians experience, and lastly, the most progressive countries have moved up to studying niches of patients such as sexual and gender minorities. A multidisciplinary approach, including pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic management, appears most efficient. There is a need for greater inclusion of partners and for providing a specific training to first-line health care providers. This review provides a general contemporary worldwide overview of the state of the art in sexuality issues in BC patients and survivors.

Prevalence and risk factors for sexual dysfunction in young women following a cancer diagnosis - a population-based study

BACKGROUND

Self-reported sex problems among women diagnosed with reproductive and nonreproductive cancers before the age of 40 are not fully understood. This study aimed to determine sexual dysfunction in young women following a cancer diagnosis in relation to women of the general population. Furthermore, to identify factors associated with sexual dysfunction in women diagnosed with cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A population-based cross-sectional study with 694 young women was conducted 1.5 years after being diagnosed with cancer (response rate 72%). Potential participants were identified in national quality registries covering breast and gynecological cancer, lymphoma and brain tumors. The women with cancer were compared to a group of women drawn from the general population (N = 493). Sexual activity and function were assessed with the PROMIS® SexFS. Logistic regression was used to assess differences between women with cancer and the comparison group, and to identify factors associated with sexual dysfunction.

RESULTS

The majority of the women with cancer (83%) as well as the women from the comparison group (87%) reported having had sex the last month (partner sex and/or masturbation). More than 60% of the women with cancer (all diagnoses) reported sexual dysfunction in at least one of the measured domains. The women with cancer reported statistically significantly more problems than women of the comparison group across domains such as decreased interest in having sex, and vaginal and vulvar discomfort. Women with gynecological or breast cancer and those receiving more intense treatment were at particular high risk of sexual dysfunction (≥2 domains). Concurrent emotional distress and body image disturbance were associated with more dysfunction.

CONCLUSION

The results underscore the need to routinely assess sexual health in clinical care and follow-up. Based on the results, development of interventions to support women to cope with cancer-related sexual dysfunction is recommended.