Sexual Problems Rarely Addressed By Internists Caring For Cancer Survivors
Few internists who care for cancer survivors address issues of sexual dysfunction with their patients, according to a study led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers. In their article appearing in a November 2009 cancer survivor supplement to the Journal of General Internal Medicine, now available online, the investigators report that more than half the internists responding to a survey indicated they rarely or never discussed sexual problems with their patients who had survived cancer.
"Sexual dysfunction is an important quality-of-life issue that many cancer survivors struggle with," says Elyse Park, PhD, MPH, of the MGH Institute for Health Policy, who led the study. "If these conversations are not happening in the primary care physician's office, they're not likely to be happening anywhere."
As more cancer patients live longer after treatment, quality-of-life concerns become more important. Sexual dysfunction is common not only among prostate and breast cancer survivors but also in significant percentages of survivors of other types of tumors.
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Sadly it comes as no surprise to learn that this study shows that sexuality and sexual dysfunction is not generally addressed with cancer survivors. This is not unique to cancer survivors - many life-altering medical situations that result in comprehensive care for the clinical diagnosis don't take into account the patient's life as a whole. As a consequence, many aspects of life affected by the diagnosis are never addressed, and sexuality is just one of many topics that fall by the wayside.