Abstract
Aspects of sexuality were assessed by questionnaires in 76 testicular cancer patients after orchiectomy before further treatment and, respectively, 6, 12 and 36 months after therapy. Before treatment 11% of the patients reported dissatisfaction with sexual life. About 20% of the patients sometimes experienced reduced libido and erectile difficulties. Six months after therapy significantly more patients (27%) recorded an unsatisfactory sexual life as compared to the pretreatment situation. At the 36 months' evaluation 22 of 76 evaluable patients (18%) still stated that their sexual life was inferior to the pretreatment experience. Libido and erectile function decreased transiently during the first year after treatment in most patients. Twelve patients reported permanent 'dry ejaculation' after bilateral retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. Other sexual disturbances could not be related to specified treatment modalities. Increased age at the time of diagnosis and psychological distress tended to correlate with the incidence of sexual problems. For about 60% of the patients the discussion of expected and experienced sexual life problems was an important issue to be discussed before their treatment for testicular cancer and during follow-up. The high frequency of any kind of long-lasting sexual problems (30%), though often of minor degree, warrants an adequate counselling of these patients before and after treatment.
Highlights
As expected the percentage of patients interested in sexual problems was lowest at the first post-treatment evaluation, especially for the patients who were more than 40 years at the time of orchiectomy
The present study describes sexual life disturbances in a prospective and unselected series of all patients aged 15 years and older with newly diagnosed testicular cancer seen at the Norwegian Radium Hospital during 1 year
The high frequency of any kind of long-lasting sexual problems (30%), though often of minor degree, warrants an adequate counselling of these patients before and after treatment
Summary
The aim of the present study was to prospectively evaluate concerns in regard to sexual life in an unselected group of testicular cancer patients at the time of diagnosis and during a 3 years' post-treatment follow-up
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