Sexual Health and Quality of Life Assessment among Ovarian Cancer Patients during Chemotherapy

• DOI: 10.1159/000447403
• Publication Date: 2016-08-11T21:02:29Z
• Authors: Lavinia Domenici; Innocenza Palaia; Margherita Giorgini; Valerio Piacentin...; Federica Tomao; Claudia Marchetti; Violante Di Donato; Giorgia Perniola; Angela Musella; Marco Monti; Ludovico Muzii; Pierluigi Benedet...
• Keywords: Ovarian Neoplasms; Reoperation; Age Factors; Menopause, Premature; Antineoplastic Agents; Cytoreduction Surgical Procedures; Middle Aged; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Ovarian cancer, Sexuality, Quality of Life, Chemotherapy; ovarian cancer; 0302 clinical medicine; Attitude; 5. Gender equality; Surveys and Questionnaires; Body Image; Quality of Life; Humans; Female; Sexuality

<b><i>Background:</i></b> During the last decades many successful efforts have been made in order to increase life expectancy in ovarian cancer (OC) patients. However, just a few studies have investigated the impact of OC on quality of life (QoL) and sexual function in OC cases during treatment. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> The aim of this study was to evaluate the QoL and sexual function of OC patients during chemotherapy (CT). <b><i>Patients and Methods:</i></b> Forty-nine subjects were enrolled and filled in the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-OV28, Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS) questionnaires. The results were evaluated globally and consequently stratified into several groups: single surgery versus multiple surgeries, age ≤48 years versus >48 years, and first-line CT versus multiple lines of CT. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Menopause-related symptoms, body image and attitude toward the disease were significantly worse during first-line CT (p = 0.018, p = 0.029 and p = 0.006, respectively). Sexual outcomes resulted in better scores in younger patients in all questionnaires (FSFI: p = 0.001; FSDS: p = 0.048; specific EORTC QLQ-OV28 items: p = 0.022). Scores concerning body image, attitude toward the disease and CT-associated symptoms resulted worse in patients after the first surgery (p = 0.017, p = 0.002 and p = 0.012, respectively). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Our study confirms that OC has a detrimental impact on QoL and intimacy, particularly in younger patients, during the first course of CT and after the first cytoreductive surgery.