Disfunção sexual em mulheres com cancro da mama submetidas a hormonoterapia adjuvante

Abstract

Introduction: At the end of 2020, there were about 7.8 million survivors diagnosed with breast cancer in the last five years. This high number of survivors is essentially due to screening, early diagnosis and successful treatment, allowing these women to survive longer. The range of treatments for breast cancer is diverse and as a consequence it is inevitable that there will be side effects, many of them physical, which are inseparable from the psychological, social and emotional effects produced by a cancer diagnosis. Aims: The present study aims to quantify the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in women with breast cancer under adjuvant hormone therapy. It is also intended to identify the main symptoms reported, as well as to know the dimension of the problem in the Portuguese population, through an assessment of female sexual function. Methodology: To carry out this work, a structured questionnaire was applied, consisting of questions of a sociodemographic nature, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire 30 and the Female Sexual Functioning Index 6. The sample consisted of 42 patients undergoing adjuvant hormone therapy at the Centro de Mama do Hospital de São João. Sexual dysfunction was assessed at a cut-off point of 6.7 for the total score of sexual dysfunction domains. Results: Data analysis revealed a prevalence of sexual dysfunction of 42.8% in the population evaluated. The domain of sexual function most affected in participants with sexual dysfunction was desire and the domain least affected was arousal. It was found that there were statistically significant differences in tobacco consumption between the groups, with and without sexual dysfunction, with a higher proportion of smokers in the group of patients with sexual dysfunction. The group of patients without sexual dysfunction reported better physical, emotional and cognitive functioning, while the group with sexual dysfunction reported more dyspnea and fatigue. With regard to global health status, we found statistically significant differences, with patients with sexual dysfunction reporting a lower quality of life. However, we observed that there are no statistically significant differences between the groups with and without sexual dysfunction in terms of exposure time and type of hormone therapy administered, as well as all other sociodemographic and behavioral variables. Conclusion: The quality of life associated with cancer patients is currently a central issue, not only because of the increase in survival but also because of the improvement in the care provided. Changing the perception of the topic sexuality also allows for an awareness of it and a more multidisciplinary approach. It is important to highlight to an intervention on this topic, not only for its prevention, but also for its follow-up as a promotion of health and quality of life for patients.