NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who beat cervical cancer may continue to have sexual difficulties and other problems that diminish their quality of life, a study shows.
Korean researchers found that among women who'd been successfully treated for cervical cancer, rates of sexual dysfunction and poor body image were higher than those of women who'd never had the disease.
The findings suggest that many women may need ongoing support after their cervical cancer has been successfully treated, the researchers report in the medical journal Cancer.
The study, led by Dr. Sang Yoon Park of the National Cancer Center in Goyang, included 860 women who'd survived cervical cancer, most of whom were in their 40s or 50s when diagnosed. The researchers also surveyed a comparison group of 494 women with no history of cervical cancer.
In general, cancer survivors reported more problems with their sex lives, ranging from poor body image and anxiety over their sexual performance to physical problems like pain during intercourse.
Cancer survivors were also more likely to have severe menopausal symptoms, like hot flashes and night sweats, as well as constipation and diarrhea.
Some problems seemed to be related to particular cancer treatments; sexual problems, for instance, were more of a problem for women who had received radiation than for those who'd been treated with surgery alone.
In general, however, cervical cancer survivors had more quality-of-life issues than women in the comparison group, regardless of the type of treatment they received.
Other research has found that sexual problems are common among cervical cancer survivors, but that doctors often fail to broach the topic.
According to Park's team, the current findings suggest that survivors need more long-term help in dealing with the aftermath of the cancer.
SOURCE: Cancer, December 15, 2007.
