Seminars in Oncology Nursing
Volume 24, Issue 2 , Pages 71-79 , May 2008

Sexuality: A Quality-of-Life Issue for Cancer Survivors

  • D. Kathryn Tierney

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to D. Kathryn Tierney, RN, PhD, Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, Stanford University Medical Center, 300 Pasteur Dr, Unit BMT E1, Stanford, CA 94305

References 

  1. Baker F, Denniston M, Smith T, et al. Adult cancer survivors: how are they faring?. Cancer. 2005;104(Suppl):2565–2576
  2. Barton D, Wilwerding M, Carpenter L, et al. Libido as part of sexuality in female cancer survivors. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2004;31:599–609
  3. Butler L, Banfield V, Sveinson T, et al. Conceptualizing sexual health in cancer care. West J Nurs Res. 1998;20:683–699
  4. Beckjord E, Campas BE. Sexual quality of life in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer. J Psychosoc Oncol. 2007;25:19–36
  5. Ferrell BR, Dow KI. Quality of life among long-term cancer survivors. Oncol. 1997;11:565–576
  6. Humphreys CT, Tallman B, Altmaier EM, et al. Sexual functioning in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation: a longitudinal study. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2007;39:491–496
  7. McKee AL, Schover LR. Sexuality rehabilitation. Cancer. 2001;92:1008–1012
  8. Meyerowitz BE, Desmond KA, Rowland JH, et al. Sexuality following breast cancer. J Sex Marital Ther. 1999;25:237–250
  9. Wright EP, Kiely MA, Lynch P, et al. Social problems in oncology. Br J Cancer. 2002;87:1099–1104
  10. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2007. Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society; 2007;
  11. Carelle N, Piotto E, Ballanger A, et al. Changing patient perceptions of the side effects of cancer chemotherapy. Cancer. 2002;95:155–163
  12. Prieto JM, Saez R, Carreras E, et al. Physical and psychosocial functioning of 117 survivors of bone marrow transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant. 1996;17:1133–1142
  13. American Nurses Association and Oncology Nursing Society. Standards of Oncology Nursing Practice. Kansas City, MO: American Nurses Association; 1979;
  14. Hewitt M, Greenfield S, Stovall E. From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor: Lost in Transition. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2006;
  15. Holland JC, Reznik I. Pathways for psychosocial care of cancer survivors. Cancer. 2005;104(Supp l):2624–2637
  16. World Health Organization. Education and Treatment in Human Sexuality. Technical Report. Report No: L Series. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1975;p 572
  17. Wilmoth MC. Life after cancer: What does sexuality have to do with it?. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2006;33:905–910
  18. Krebs L. What should I say? Talking with patients about sexuality issues. Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2006;10:313–315
  19. Katz A. Breaking the Silence on Cancer and Sexuality. Pittsburgh, PA: Oncology Nursing Society; 2007;
  20. Pelusi J. Sexuality and body image. Research on breast cancer survivors documents altered body image and sexuality. Am J Nurs. 2006;106(Suppl):32–38
  21. Rosen RC, Barsky JL. Normal sexual response in women. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2006;33:515–526
  22. Maslow A. A theory of human motivation. Psychol Rev. 1943;50:370–396
  23. Kinsey A, Pomeroy WB, Martin CE. Sexual Behavior in the Human Male. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders; 1948;
  24. Masters WH, Johnson VE. Human Sexual Response. Ed 1. Boston, MA: Little Brown; 1966;
  25. Kaplan H. Disorders of sexual desire and other new concepts and techniques in sex therapy. New York: Brunner/Hazel; 1979;
  26. Zilbergeld B, Ellison C. Desire discrepancies and arousal problems in sex therapy. In:  Leiblum S,  Pervin L editor. Principles and Practice of Sex Therapy. New York: Guildord Press; 1980;
  27. Basson R. Female sexual response: the role of drugs in the management of sexual dysfunction. Obstet Gynecol. 2001;98:350–353
  28. Kandeel FR, Koussa VKT, Swerdloff RS. Male sexual function and its disorders: physiology, pathophysiology, clinical investigation and treatment. Endocrine Rev. 2001;22:342–388
  29. Carey JC. Disorders of sexual desire and arousal. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2006;33:549–564
  30. Schiavi RC, Segraves RT. The biology of sexual function. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 1995;18:7–23
  31. Bancroft J. The endocrinology of sexual arousal. J Endocrinol. 2005;186:411–427
  32. Thomas D. Medications and sexual function. Clin Geriatr Med. 2003;19:553–562
  33. Goldstein I, Lue TF, Padma-Nathan H, et al. Oral sildenafil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. N Engl J Med. 1998;338:1397–1404
  34. Lue TF. Drug therapy: Erectile dysfunction. N Engl J Med. 2000;342:1802–1813
  35. Gallo-Silver L. The sexual rehabilitation of persons with cancer. Cancer Pract. 2000;8:10–15
  36. Schover LR. Reproductive complications and sexual dysfunction in cancer survivors. In:  Ganz PA editors. Cancer survivorship; today and tomorrow. New York, NY: Springer; 2007;p. 251–271
  37. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder: DSM-IV-TR. Ed 4. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2000;
  38. Andersen BL. Sexual functioning morbidity among cancer survivors. Current status and future research directions. Cancer. 1985;55:1835–1842
  39. Schultz WC, Van De Wiel HB. Sexuality, intimacy, and gynecological cancer. J Sex Marital Ther. 2003;29(Suppl 1):121–128
  40. Syrjala KL, Roth-Roemer SL, Abrams JR, et al. Prevalence and predictors of sexual dysfunction in long-term survivors of marrow transplantation. J Clin Oncol. 1998;16:3148–3157
  41. Hordern AJ, Street AF. Constructions of sexuality and intimacy after cancer: patient and health professional perspectives. Soc Sci Med. 2007;64:1704–1718
  42. Hughes MK. Sexuality and the cancer survivor: a silent coexistence. Cancer Nurs. 2000;23:477–482
  43. Katz A. The sounds of silence: sexuality information for cancer patients. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23:238–241
  44. Quinn B. Sexual health in cancer care. Nurs Times. 2003;99:32–34
  45. Soothill K, Morris SM, Harman J, et al. The significant unmet needs of cancer patients: probing psychosocial concerns. Support Care Cancer. 2001;9:597–605
  46. Chasle S, How CC. The effect of cytotoxic chemotherapy on female fertility. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2003;7:91–98
  47. Howell S, Shalet S. Gonadal damage from chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 1998;27:927–943
  48. Sklar C. Maintenance of ovarian function and risk of premature menopause related to cancer treatment. J Natl Cancer Inst Monographs. 2005;34:25–27
  49. Klein CE, Glode LM. Gonadal complications. In:  Armitage JO,  Antman KH editor. High-Dose Cancer Therapy: Pharmacology; Hematopoietins, Stem Cells. Baltimore, MD: Williams and Wilkins; 1992;p. 555–566
  50. Carde P. Risks of infertility and early menopause from anticancer and immunosuppressive programs: methods of fertility preservation and palliation. American Society of Clinical Oncology. 2004;Available at: www.asco.org
  51. Brook CGD, Marshall NJ. Essential Endocrinology. Ed 4. London: Blackwell Science; 2001;
  52. Kalantaridou SN, Davis SR, Nelson LM. Premature ovarian failure. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 1998;27:989–1006
  53. Sklar CA, Mertens AC, Mitby P, et al. Premature menopause in survivors of childhood cancer: a report from the childhood cancer survivor study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006;98:890–896
  54. Lin EM, Aiken JL, Good BC. Premature menopause after cancer treatment. Cancer Pract. 1999;7:114–121
  55. Wilson MMG. Menopause. Clin Geriatr Med. 2003;19:483–506
  56. Morley JE, Melmed S. Gonadal dysfunction in systemic disorders. Metabolism. 1979;28:1051–1073
  57. Grossfeld GD, Small EJ, Lubeck DP, et al. Androgen deprivation therapy for patients with clinically localized (stages T1 to T3) prostate cancer and for patients with biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy. Urology. 2001;58(Suppl 1):56–64
  58. Thaler-DeMers D. Intimacy issues: sexuality, fertility, and relationships. Semin Oncol Nurs. 2001;17:255–262
  59. Chatterjee R, Andrews HO, McGarrigle HH, et al. Cavernosal arterial insufficiency is a major component of erectile dysfunction in some recipients of high-dose chemotherapy/chemoradiotherapy for haematological malignancies. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2000;25:1185–1189
  60. Cella D, Davis K, Breitbart W, et al. Cancer-related fatigue: prevalence of proposed diagnostic criteria in a United States sample of cancer survivors. J Clin Oncol. 2001;19:3385–3391
  61. Knobf MT. Reproductive and hormonal sequelae of chemotherapy in women. Am J Nurs. 2006;106(Suppl):60–65
  62. Stanton AL, Ganz PA, Rowland JH, et al. Promoting adjustment after treatment for cancer. Cancer. 2005;104(Suppl):2608–2613
  63. Thaler-DeMers D. Endocrine and fertility effects in male cancer survivors. Changes related to androgen-deprivation therapy and other treatments require timely intervention. Am J Nurs. 2006;106(Suppl):66–71
  64. Zabora J, BrintzenhofeSzoc K, Curbow B, et al. The prevalence of psychological distress by cancer site. Psychooncol. 2001;10:19–28
  65. DeFrank JT, Mehta CC, Bahn C, et al. Body image dissatisfaction in cancer survivors. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2007;34:36–41
  66. Fobair P, Stewart SL, Chang S, et al. Body image and sexual problems in young women with breast cancer. Psychooncol. 2006;15:579–594
  67. Reaby LL, Hort LK. Postmastectomy attitudes in women who wear external breast prostheses compared to those who have undergone breast reconstructions. J Behav Med. 1995;18:55–67
  68. Holmberg SK, Scott LL, Alexy W, et al. Relationship issues of women with breast cancer. Cancer Nurs. 2001;24:53–60
  69. Tierney DK, Dodd M, Facione N, et al. Altered sexual health and quality of life in women prior to hematopoietic cell transplantation. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2007;11:298–308
  70. Dorval M, Guay S, Mondor M, et al. Couples who get closer after breast cancer: frequency and predictors in a prospective investigation. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23:3588–3596
  71. Kylstra WA, Leenhouts GH, Everaerd W, et al. Sexual outcomes following treatment for early stage gynecological cancer: a prospective multicenter study. Int J Gynecol Cancer. 1999;9:387–395
  72. Phillips C, Gray RE, Fitch MI, et al. Early postsurgery experience of prostate cancer patients and spouses. Cancer Pract. 2000;8:165–171

PII: S0749-2081(08)00007-7

doi: 10.1016/j.soncn.2008.02.001

Seminars in Oncology Nursing
Volume 24, Issue 2 , Pages 71-79 , May 2008

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution