Sexual functioning, sexual enjoyment, and body image in Norwegian breast cancer survivors: a 12-year longitudinal follow-up study and comparison with the general female population
Åsberg, Ragnhild Emilie; Giskeødegård, Guro F.; Raj, Sunil Xavier; Karlsen, Jarle; Engstrøm, Monica Jernberg; Salvesen, Øyvind Olav; Nilsen, Marianne; Lundgren, Steinar; Reidunsdatter, Randi Johansen
Peer reviewed, Journal article
Published version
Permanent lenke
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3106122Utgivelsesdato
2023Metadata
Vis full innførselSamlinger
- Institutt for klinisk og molekylær medisin [3589]
- Institutt for samfunnsmedisin og sykepleie [3714]
- Institutt for sirkulasjon og bildediagnostikk [1934]
- Institutt for sosialt arbeid [1393]
- Publikasjoner fra CRIStin - NTNU [38672]
- Publikasjoner fra Cristin - St. Olavs hospital [1616]
- St. Olavs hospital [2582]
Originalversjon
10.1080/0284186X.2023.2238548Sammendrag
Background
Given the scarcity of evidence concerning the long-term sexual health of breast cancer (BC) survivors (BC-Pop), we aimed to assess how BC treatments affect short- and long-term sexual functioning, sexual enjoyment, and body image, and compare with aged-matched women in the Norwegian general population (F-GenPop).
Material and Methods
The 349 patients in BC-Pop treated at Trondheim University Hospital in 2007–2014, were assessed in clinical controls at the hospital; before starting radiotherapy (T1, baseline), immediately after ending radiotherapy (T2), and after 3, 6, and 12 months (T3–T5), and at a long-term follow-up 7–12 years after baseline (T6). Meanwhile, F-GenPop included 2254 age-matched women in the Norwegian general population. The impact of BC treatment on sexual functioning was examined using a Linear Mixed Model. Sexual functioning, sexual enjoyment, and body image were assessed with the EORTC′s QLQ-BR23 scales and compared between the populations in the four age groups (30–49, 50–59, 60–69, and 70+ years) using means with 95% confidence intervals and Student t-test. Linear regression, adjusted for age and comorbidity was applied to estimate individual scores.
Result
BC survivors treated with mastectomy had overall lower sexual functioning than patients who had received breast-conserving surgery (p = 0.017). Although BC survivors treated with chemotherapy had lower sexual functioning than those treated without chemotherapy at T1–T5 (p = 0.044), both groups showed the same level of functioning at T6. BC-Pop exhibited significantly poorer sexual functioning (p < 0.001), lower sexual enjoyment (p < 0.05), and better body image (p < 0.001) than F-GenPop in all age groups.
Conclusion
The impact of specific BC treatments on sexual functioning was modest; only mastectomy had a persistent negative influence. Nevertheless, all age groups in BC-Pop displayed significantly poorer sexual functioning than F-GenPop at both 12 months and up to 12 years after treatment.