| Abstract: |
(from the chapter) This chapter discusses sexual functioning post-treatment for cancer survivors. The Office of Cancer Survivorship now estimates cancer survivor to number over ten million. Many of these cancer patients will be challenged with changes in sexual function during the acute phase of treatment and/or in the aftermath of cancer survivorship. Intimacy can be an important part of quality of life (QOL) that is disrupted and altered in the setting of a cancer diagnosis and treatment, with estimates ranging in the literature from 30%-90%. The most common changes in sexual function for cancer survivors include decreased libido or sexual interest, pain with penetration (dyspareunia) in women, or erectile dysfunction in men. Despite these significant changes, solutions do exist to assist with sexual rehabilitation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved). |
