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01-03-2019 | Original Article

Sexual quality of life evaluation after treatment among women with breast cancer under 35 years old

Authors: Anaïse Blouet, Marie Zinger, Olivier Capitain, Sébastien Landry, Hugues Bourgeois, Valérie Thepot Seegers, Yoann Pointreau

Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer | Issue 3/2019

Abstract

Purpose

To qualify the quality of patients sexual lives after treatment among women with breast cancer under 35 years old and compare results to the literature.

Methods

Sexual quality of life was measured for 84 women aged 20 to 35 years old at diagnosis, with two validated quality of sexual life questionnaires, Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women (BISF-W) and Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), at least six months after breast cancer diagnosis. Two other questionnaires were used to allow us to understand other aspects of their life before cancer and to monitor quality of sexual life during treatment.

Results

Forty-three women responded to the questionnaire. The questionnaires demonstrated that more than half of them had problems with their sexuality. The mean total score was 28.08/75 for BISF-W and 25.1 for FSFI (under the cutoff score 26.55). The domain analysis showed an association between the absence of chemotherapy and scores in regard to sexual health. Only 7% had sexual disturbance detected but 49% of the patients wished to have it.

Conclusion

Sexual dysfunction in breast cancer survivors is real, has several factors, and cannot be evaluated based only on the organic side effects induced by cancer treatment. Better monitoring and screening seems necessary in order to optimize the quality of sexual life after surviving breast cancer.

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Title: Sexual quality of life evaluation after treatment among women with breast cancer under 35 years old
Authors: Anaïse Blouet
Marie Zinger
Olivier Capitain
Sébastien Landry
Hugues Bourgeois
Valérie Thepot Seegers
Yoann Pointreau
Publication date: 01-03-2019
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer / Issue 3/2019
Print ISSN: 0941-4355
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4374-z

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