Background: Multimodal cancer treatments are often associated with sexual problems.
Identifying patients with sexual problems could help further elucidate serious issues with
their sexuality and thus promote or maintain patients’ sexual health. We aimed to assess
the occurrence of sexual problems in patients across different tumor locations and to
explore associated sociodemographic, medical and psychosocial factors.
Methods: We included 3,677 cancer patients (mean age 58 years, age range 18–
75 years, 51.4% women) from a large epidemiological multicenter study in Germany on
average 13.5 months after cancer diagnosis. The occurrence and frequency of sexual
problems were assessed via a binary item on the problem checklist of the Distress
Thermometer (DT). Controlled associations of these problems with sociodemographic,
medical and psychosocial factors including distress (DT), anxiety (GAD-7), depression
(PHQ-9), quality of life (EORTC-QLQ-C30), and social support (SSUK-8) are analyzed
using logistic regression analysis.
Results: We found that 31.8% of patients reported sexual problems, with a significant
higher proportion in men (40.5%) compared to women (23.7%), OR 2.35, 95% CI [1.80–
3.07] and a higher proportion in patients with a partner (35.6%) compared to those
without a partner (3.5%), OR 2.83, 95% CI [2.17–3.70]. Tumor location was associated
with occurrence of sexual problems: patients with cancer, affecting the male genital
organs had the highest chance for sexual problems, OR 2.65, 95% CI [1.18–3.95].
There was no significant difference in the occurrence of sexual problems between age
groups OR 0.99, 95% CI [2.13–3.53] and type of therapy (e.g., operation OR 0.91, 95%
CI [0.72–1.15]). Sexual problems were further associated with elevated levels of anxiety,
OR 1.05, 95% CI [1.02–1.10], less social support, OR 0.93, 95% CI [0.90–0.97] and
lower quality of life in terms of impaired functioning (e.g., social function, OR 0.99, 95%
CI [0.99–1.00]).
Conclusions: Sexual problems are commonly reported by patients. Male patients and
those living with a partner are more likely to report sexual problems. Sexual problems are
associated with different aspects of well-being. The findings imply the practical relevance
to screen for sexual problems among patients and identified groups that should be
particularly monitored.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:84453 |
| Date | 31 March 2023 |
| Creators | Heyne, Svenja, Esser, Peter, Geue, Kristina, Friedrich, Michael, Mehnert-Theuerkauf, Anja |
| Publisher | Frontiers Research Foundation |
| Source Sets | Hochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion, doc-type:article, info:eu-repo/semantics/article, doc-type:Text |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | 1664-1078, 679870 |
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