Psychological Distress and Sexual Dysfunction in Cancer Patients: Need for Psychological Intervention

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Extensive studies were reported about sexual functioning in various chronic health conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neuro-muscular and degenerative diseases having adverse impact on reproductive health and sexual quality of life. Sexuality is the fundamental and essential domain of human experience that could be damaged during the journey with cancer. Sexual dysfunction may appear due to systemic effects of cancer like organ damage, hormonal changes, psychological distress or severe side effects of cancer treatment. The biomedical causes of cancer are well known, and there is a growing interest in exploring the psychological factors that exacerbate distress and sexual dysfunction, adversely affecting the health of cancer patients. This article brings out deeper concerns like psychological distress and sexual dysfunction and discusses the various determinants for preserving sexual and psychological health among the growing community of cancer survivors. The article compiled facts, figures, and narratives of distress and sexual dysfunction among cancer patients through an extensive literature survey using search sites like Google Scholar, Pub Med, Scopus and Web of Science. This article aims to analyse the psycho-social factors for distress and sexual dysfunction in cancer patients, discuss the relevance of sexual health models and, the evidence-based psychological intervention focused on improving the health of cancer patients.