Clinical needs assessment for sexual health among cancer patients receiving pelvic radiation: Implications for development of a radiation oncology sexual health clinic.
Pract Radiat Oncol
; 8(3): 206-212, 2018.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29426693
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Cancer patients treated with pelvic radiation therapy (RT) often experience sexual health-related side effects during and following treatment. A clinical needs assessment was used to evaluate sexual health needs and to determine how needs differed between patients receiving and who had completed RT. METHODS AND MATERIALS A questionnaire was used to evaluate sexual health needs among patients treated with pelvic RT. All answers were rated using a 4-point Likert scale. Convenience sampling was used, and patients were stratified by whether they were on-treatment or in follow-up. Charts were reviewed for demographic, diagnostic, and treatment information. Pearson's χ2 test and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the associations between sexual health-related topics and clinical variables.RESULTS:
A total of 107 of 109 (98%) invited patients completed the questionnaire (46 females, 61 males; 52 undergoing RT, 54 completed RT). Most (75%) reported some degree of change in sexual health from the effects of cancer and/or treatment; 22% and 28% reported "quite a bit" or "very much" change, respectively. Sixty-nine percent reported that they experienced some degree of distress from sexual health changes (28% reported "very much" or "quite a bit" of distress). Seventy-six percent "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that they were interested in access to a multidisciplinary sexual health clinic (MSHC). Compared with patients currently receiving RT, patients in follow-up were significantly more likely to report worsening degrees of "change" (P = .008) and "distress" (P = .04) and to express interest in having access to an MSHC (P = .03).CONCLUSION:
The majority of patients receiving pelvic RT reported a change in sexual health with associated distress, with more reports among those in follow-up. Patients undergoing pelvic RT expressed a high interest in attending a radiation oncology MSHC. Our findings emphasize the important role radiation oncologists can play in the quality of life of our patients.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pelvis
/
Quality of Life
/
Community Health Centers
/
Radiation Oncology
/
Sexual Health
Type of study:
Qualitative_research
Aspects:
Patient_preference
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
En
Journal:
Pract Radiat Oncol
Year:
2018
Document type:
Article
Publication country:
EEUU
/
ESTADOS UNIDOS
/
ESTADOS UNIDOS DA AMERICA
/
EUA
/
UNITED STATES
/
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
/
US
/
USA