(S024) Impact of Pelvic Radiotherapy on Sexuality Reported by Women Surviving Cancer

Publication
Article
OncologyOncology Vol 29 No 4_Suppl_1
Volume 29
Issue 4_Suppl_1

Reports of sexual changes in women after cancer treatment are highest in patients receiving pelvic radiation, particularly brachytherapy. Rates of sexual changes are higher than expected in patients receiving radiation elsewhere and/or chemotherapy alone. These findings support the need for both adequate patient counseling prior to treatment and support for late-effect management afterwards.

James M. Metz, MD, Erin Davis, Carolyn Vachani, Margaret K. Hampshire, Christine E. Hill-Kayser, MD; University of Pennsylvania

INTRODUCTION: Many women are cured of pelvic malignancies through multimodality treatment. Some treatments, including radiation, are recognized to impact female sexual function in the long term; however, patient perspectives on these outcomes are not well understood, nor are contributions of other treatment forms. Here, we describe patient-reported outcomes after pelvic radiation, as well as radiation elsewhere and chemotherapy alone.

METHODS: Patient-reported data were gathered via convenience sample frame from cancer survivors voluntarily using an internet tool for the creation of survivorship care plans. The tool requires entry of data regarding diagnosis, demographics, and treatments and provides customized guidelines for future care. It is publically available and free of charge, with > 300,000 total users since 2007. During use of the tool, survivors are queried regarding their experience with late effects associated with specific treatments.

RESULTS: The tool was used by 7,258 female cancer survivors from November 2012–October 2014. Overall, the group was 82% Caucasian, with a median age of 51 years (range: 18–84 yr) and a median time of 2.5 yr from diagnosis (range: < 1–38 yr). Of these patients, 503 had received pelvic radiation as part of treatment for gastrointestinal or gynecologic malignancies (37% vs 63%, respectively). Of the pelvic radiation group, 78% reported receiving external beam radiation (EBRT) with x-rays, 35% received brachytherapy (55% in conjunction with EBRT and 45% alone), and 3% received proton radiation. When the entire group was queried, “Have you experienced sexual changes since completing treatment?” 42% responded “yes,” 23% answered “no,” and 17% responded “I don’t know.” The brachytherapy group was more likely to respond “yes” (56%) than the EBRT-alone group (40%) (P < .05).

The pelvic radiation group was compared with patients receiving radiation outside of the pelvis. Of this group, 34% responded “yes,” 32% responded “no,” and 34% responded “I don’t know” (P < .05 when compared with the pelvic radiation group). The pelvic radiation group was also compared with patients receiving chemotherapy alone, with 38% responding “yes,” 29% responding “no,” and 33% responding “I don’t know” (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS: Reports of sexual changes in women after cancer treatment are highest in patients receiving pelvic radiation, particularly brachytherapy. Rates of sexual changes are higher than expected in patients receiving radiation elsewhere and/or chemotherapy alone. These findings support the need for both adequate patient counseling prior to treatment and support for late-effect management afterwards.

Proceedings of the 97th Annual Meeting of the American Radium Society- americanradiumsociety.org

Articles in this issue

(P005) Ultrasensitive PSA Identifies Patients With Organ-Confined Prostate Cancer Requiring Postop Radiotherapy
(P001) Disparities in the Local Management of Breast Cancer in the United States According to Health Insurance Status
(P002) Predictors of CNS Disease in Metastatic Melanoma: Desmoplastic Subtype Associated With Higher Risk
(P003) Identification of Somatic Mutations Using Fine Needle Aspiration: Correlation With Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer
(P004) A Retrospective Study to Assess Disparities in the Utilization of Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) and Proton Therapy (PT) in the Treatment of Prostate Cancer (PCa)
(S001) Tumor Control and Toxicity Outcomes for Head and Neck Cancer Patients Re-Treated With Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)-A Fifteen-Year Experience
(S003) Weekly IGRT Volumetric Response Analysis as a Predictive Tool for Locoregional Control in Head and Neck Cancer Radiotherapy 
(S004) Combination of Radiotherapy and Cetuximab for Aggressive, High-Risk Cutaneous Squamous Cell Cancer of the Head and Neck: A Propensity Score Analysis
(S005) Radiotherapy for Carcinoma of the Hypopharynx Over Five Decades: Experience at a Single Institution
(S002) Prognostic Value of Intraradiation Treatment FDG-PET Parameters in Locally Advanced Oropharyngeal Cancer
(P006) The Role of Sequential Imaging in Cervical Cancer Management
(P008) Pretreatment FDG Uptake of Nontarget Lung Tissue Correlates With Symptomatic Pneumonitis Following Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR)
(P009) Monte Carlo Dosimetry Evaluation of Lung Stereotactic Body Radiosurgery
(P010) Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Treatment of Adrenal Gland Metastasis: Toxicity, Outcomes, and Patterns of Failure
(P011) Stereotactic Radiosurgery and BRAF Inhibitor Therapy for Melanoma Brain Metastases Is Associated With Increased Risk for Radiation Necrosis
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