Cancer survivors report similar sexual activity, function as others their age

Sexual activity and function appeared no different in cancer survivors than in cancer-free adults aged 50 years or older, according to results of a population-based study.

However, survivors more frequently reported dissatisfaction with their sex lives.

Because almost 70% of Americans with cancer survive at least 5 years, quality of life after treatment has garnered increasing attention.

“Preservation of sexual function is a key component of quality of life, yet it remains one of the ‘unmet needs’ commonly reported by cancer survivors,” Sarah E. Jackson, PhD, psychologist at Cancer Research UK’s Health Behavior Centre, and colleagues wrote.

The researchers used 2012 to 2013 data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA) to compare sexual activity, function and concerns between cancer survivors and cancer-free controls aged 50 years or older. In total, 2,982 men (7.4% diagnosed with cancer) and 3,708 women (9.2% diagnosed with cancer) responded to the Sexual Relationships and Activities Questionnaire from ELSA. The median time since diagnosis among survivors was 9 years (range, 2-57).

Cancer survivors tended to be older than controls (men, 71.1 vs. 65.9 years; women, 68.9 vs. 65.2 years) and have more comorbid conditions (men, 0.92 vs. 0.73; women, 0.92 vs. 0.77).

The researchers found no differences in levels of sexual activity, frequency of sexual intercourse or sexual function between cancer survivors and controls.

A similar proportion of female controls and survivors (55.5% vs. 58.2%; OR = 1.17; 95% CI, 0.9-1.54) and male controls and survivors (78.5% vs. 76%; OR = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.66-1.31) reported sexual activity within the past year.

Having frequent sexual intercourse was reported at a similar rate among female controls and survivors (50.1% vs. 49.1%; OR = 0.98; 95% CI, 0.7-1.38) and male controls and survivors (48% vs. 49%; OR = 1.18; 95% CI, 0.81-1.7).

Difficulty in sexual function — such as difficulty become aroused or achieving orgasm — was reported by 31.4% of female survivors and 31.8% of controls (OR = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.61- 1.47), as well as by 40.3% of male survivors and 39.3% of controls (OR = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.69-1.35).

“We hope our findings will put cancer survivors’ concerns to rest — showing that they are just as sexually active and function just as well as others their age,” Jackson said in a Cancer Research UK–issued press release.

However, a greater proportion of survivors than controls reported being dissatisfied with their overall sex lives among both women (18.2% vs. 11.8%; OR = 1.84; 95% CI, 1.05-3.25) and men (30.9% vs. 19.8%; OR = 1.74; 95% CI, 1.08-2.8). Further, more female survivors had concerns about levels of sexual desire (10.2% vs. 7.1%; OR = 1.83; 95% CI, 1.19-2.81).

“Although some cancer treatments are known to impact on sexual function, this study suggests that the majority of [patients with cancer] have similar sexual function and activity as the general population,” Martin Ledwick, head information nurse at Cancer Research UK, said in a press release. “However, [patients with cancer] in the study were more likely to be dissatisfied with their sex lives even though they didn’t report a higher incidence of sexual dysfunction — like erectile problems in men.”

Stratification according to time since diagnosis revealed difficulty becoming aroused was more common among female survivors who had been diagnosed within the previous 5 years (55.4%) than among women diagnosed 5 or more years ago (23.5%) and controls (31.8%). This trend persisted for achieving orgasm (60.6% vs. 19.1% and 28.3%), and in having concerns about sexual desire (14.8% vs. 9.1% and 7.1%) and orgasmic experience (17.6% vs. 8% and 7.1%).

“This highlights the need for health professionals to make sure they talk about sex with all patients not just the ones whose sexual function is likely to be affected by their cancer or its treatment,” Ledwick added.

The researchers acknowledged the study was limited by self-reported data, the number of cancer survivors and a lack of detailed information on the data of diagnosis.

“Half of patients diagnosed with cancer in the UK will survive their disease for at least 10 years, so it’s important we understand factors like this that affect survivors’ quality of life,” Jackson said. “The next stage of our research will look at why cancer patients feel less satisfied with their sex lives.” – by Kristie L. Kahl

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.