Assessment of Female Sexual Morbidity After Pelvic Radiotherapy
Author Information
Author(s): White I D, Allan H, Faithfull S
Primary Institution: King's College London and University of Surrey
Hypothesis
What factors influence the identification of treatment-induced female sexual difficulties in routine oncology follow-up after radical pelvic radiotherapy?
Conclusion
Female sexual morbidity after pelvic radiotherapy is often overlooked in routine follow-up care.
Supporting Evidence
- Only 25% of consultations included discussions about sexual issues.
- Vaginal toxicity was discussed in only 42% of consultations.
- Health professionals led discussions on sexual issues in 15.9% of cases.
Takeaway
This study looked at how often doctors talk about sexual health with women after they get treatment for cancer. They found that it doesn't happen very much.
Methodology
The study used structured observation of 69 follow-up consultations over a 5-month period to record topics discussed.
Potential Biases
The study may not accurately reflect typical clinical practice due to the structured observation method.
Limitations
The study's observational method may have influenced the rate of sexual issue discussions due to clinician awareness of the study focus.
Participant Demographics
The majority of participants were women over 60 years old, primarily with cervical or endometrial cancer.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.000
Statistical Significance
p=0.000
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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