Urinary, climacteric and sexual symptoms 1 year after treatment of cervical cancer without brachytherapy

ObjectiveConventional radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy (RHL) for early-stage cervical cancer is associated with significant bladder, anorectal, and sexual dysfunction. Nerve-sparing modification of RHL (NS-RHL) has been developed with the aim to reduce surgical treatment-related morbidity. Postoperative radiation therapy (RT) is offered to patients with unfavorable prognostic features to improve local control. The aim of the study was to assess self-reported morbidity of various types of treatment in cervical cancer patients.MethodsSelf-reported symptoms were prospectively assessed before and 1 and 2 years after treatment by the Dutch Gynaecologic Leiden Questionnaire.ResultsIncluded were 229 women (123 NS-RHL and 106 conventional RHL). Ninety-four (41%) received RT. Up to 2 years (response rate, 81%), women reported significantly more bowel, bladder, and sexual symptoms compared with the pretreatment situation. No significant difference was found between the conventional RHL and NS-RHL with the exception of the unexpected finding that a smaller percentage in the NS-RHL group (34% vs 68%) complained about numbness of the labia and/ or thigh. Radiation therapy had a negative impact on diarrhea, urine incontinence, lymphedema, and sexual symptoms (especially a narrow/short vagina).ConclusionsIn the current longitudinal cohort study, treatment for early-stage cervical cancer was associated with worse subjective bladder, anorectal, and sexual functioning, irrespective of the surgical procedure used. Postoperative RT resulted in a significant deterioration of these functions. The results have to be interpreted with caution in view of the study design and method used.

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Vaginal Dilator Use to Promote Sexual Wellbeing After Radiotherapy in Gynaecological Cancer Survivors: A Prospective Observational Study

10.31487/j.ijcst.2021.03.01.sup ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Dimitra Charatsi ◽

Polyxeni Vanakara ◽

Michail Nikolaou ◽

Aikaterini Evaggelopoulou ◽

Dimitrios Korfias ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cervical Cancer ◽

Cancer Survivors ◽

External Beam Radiotherapy ◽

Sexual Life ◽

P Value ◽

Sexual Rehabilitation ◽

Vaginal Stenosis ◽

Sexual Symptoms ◽

Radiation Induced ◽

Vaginal Dilators

Background: Since continuing advances in radiotherapy technology broaden the role of radiotherapy in the treatment of gynaecologic malignancies, the use of vaginal dilators has been introduced in order to mitigate the risk of vaginal stenosis. The main aims of this study were to investigate the vaginal dilator use efficacy in the treatment of radiation-induced vaginal stenosis and the vaginal dilator effect on sexual quality of life. Methods: We studied fifty-three patients with endometrial or cervical cancer. The participants were treated with radical or adjuvant external beam radiotherapy and/or brachytherapy. They were routinely examined at four time points post-radiotherapy when also they were asked to fill in a validated sexual function-vaginal changes questionnaire. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The vaginal stenosis grading score was decreased and the size of the vaginal dilator comfortably insertable was gradually increased throughout the year of vaginal dilator use while radiation-induced vaginal and sexual symptoms were improved throughout the year of VD use. All patients with initial grade 3 showed vaginal stenosis of grade 2 after 12 months of vaginal dilator use and 65.8% of the patients with grade 2 initial vaginal stenosis demonstrated final vaginal stenosis grade 1 while 77.8% of the participants with initial 1st size of vaginal dilators reached the 3rd vaginal dilator size after 12 months. Starting time of dilator therapy <= 3 months after the end of radiotherapy was associated with a significant decrease in vaginal stenosis. Additionally, there was an overall upward trend regarding patients’ satisfaction with their sexual life. Conclusion: Endometrial and cervical cancer survivors should be encouraged to use vaginal dilators for the treatment of vaginal stenosis and sexual rehabilitation after radiotherapy.

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Menopausal and sexual symptoms following radiotherapy in survivors of advanced cervical cancer.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2012.30.15_suppl.e15518 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 30 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e15518-e15518

Author(s):

Kameshwarachari Pushpalatha ◽

Dayanand Sharma ◽

Pramod Kumar Julka ◽

Sunesh Kumar ◽

G K Rath

Keyword(s):

Cervical Cancer ◽

Cancer Survivors ◽

Hot Flushes ◽

Advanced Cervical Cancer ◽

Health Issues ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Vaginal Dryness ◽

Sexual Symptoms ◽

Vaginal Health ◽

Loss Of Libido

e15518 Background: With ever-increasing number of cancer survivors nearing 12 million, a majority of women will face vaginal health issues related to their disease and/or treatment. Hypothesis is that there is direct damage to ovarian follicles as a result of ionizing radiation leading to follicular atrophy and decrease in ovarian follicular reserve. Cancer treatment with radiotherapy induces menopause-causing estrogen-deprivation symptoms. Hence this study was conducted to investigate the frequency of radiation-induced menopausal and sexual symptoms in cervical cancer survivors Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between Feb-June 2011 on cohort of 55 advanced cervical cancer patients treated with pelvic radiation of 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions over 5.5 weeks and concurrent Cisplatin, followed by intracavitary boost of 15 Grays. Women aged 55 or older and/or postmenopausal at the time of the survey were excluded. By using a questionnaire, frequency of menopause was tried to elicit along with associated sexual symptoms like hot flushes, vaginal dryness, mood swings, dyspareunia, loss of libido, botheration. Results: The average age and parity were 38.8 years and 3.6 respectively. Amenorrhoea was found in all patients. 27 (49%) patients were asymptomatic. Among 28 (50.9%) symptomatic patients, we found hot flushes in 21 (38.2%), vaginal dryness in 38 (69%), mood swings in 12 (21.8%), dyspareunia in 27 (49%), loss of libido in 26 (47.2%), bothersome in 28 (50.9%). Conclusions: Menopausal symptoms were associated with other health-related issues known to compromise the quality of life. These results highlight the need to better acknowledge and define the utility of hormonal therapy in this population. Recommendations need to be provided to treating gynaecologists and Oncologists to identify, treat and promote vaginal health. Vaginal health issues can be reduced by dedicating a small duration of time to educate the cancer survivors on hormonal/non-hormonal vaginal health strategies.

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Vaginal Dilator Use to Promote Sexual Wellbeing After Radiotherapy in Gynaecological Cancer Survivors: A Prospective Observational Study

10.31487/j.ijcst.2021.03.01 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Dimitra Charatsi ◽

Polyxeni Vanakara ◽

Michail Nikolaou ◽

Aikaterini Evaggelopoulou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cervical Cancer ◽

Cancer Survivors ◽

External Beam Radiotherapy ◽

Sexual Life ◽

P Value ◽

Sexual Rehabilitation ◽

Vaginal Stenosis ◽

Sexual Symptoms ◽

Radiation Induced ◽

Vaginal Dilators

Background: Since continuing advances in radiotherapy technology broaden the role of radiotherapy in the treatment of gynaecologic malignancies, the use of vaginal dilators has been introduced in order to mitigate the risk of vaginal stenosis. The main aims of this study were to investigate the vaginal dilator use efficacy in the treatment of radiation-induced vaginal stenosis and the vaginal dilator effect on sexual quality of life. Methods: We studied fifty-three patients with endometrial or cervical cancer. The participants were treated with radical or adjuvant external beam radiotherapy and/or brachytherapy. They were routinely examined at four time points post-radiotherapy when also they were asked to fill in a validated sexual function-vaginal changes questionnaire. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The vaginal stenosis grading score was decreased and the size of the vaginal dilator comfortably insertable was gradually increased throughout the year of vaginal dilator use while radiation-induced vaginal and sexual symptoms were improved throughout the year of VD use. All patients with initial grade 3 showed vaginal stenosis of grade 2 after 12 months of vaginal dilator use and 65.8% of the patients with grade 2 initial vaginal stenosis demonstrated final vaginal stenosis grade 1 while 77.8% of the participants with initial 1st size of vaginal dilators reached the 3rd vaginal dilator size after 12 months. Starting time of dilator therapy <= 3 months after the end of radiotherapy was associated with a significant decrease in vaginal stenosis. Additionally, there was an overall upward trend regarding patients’ satisfaction with their sexual life. Conclusion: Endometrial and cervical cancer survivors should be encouraged to use vaginal dilators for the treatment of vaginal stenosis and sexual rehabilitation after radiotherapy.

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Urinary, climacteric and sexual symptoms 1 year after treatment of cervical cancer without brachytherapy

Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology ◽

10.3109/01674820902789225 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 269-274 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Othon Lalos ◽

Lennart Kjellberg ◽

Ann Lalos

Keyword(s):

Cervical Cancer ◽

Sexual Symptoms

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A combined ultrastructural and gene molecular research for the relationship between human uterine cervical carcinoma and human papillomavirus

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s042482010015856x ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 48 (3) ◽

pp. 204-205

Author(s):

Kun Lee ◽

Jingyi Si ◽

Ricai Han ◽

Wei Zhang ◽

Bingbing Tan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cervical Cancer ◽

Human Papillomavirus ◽

Intraepithelial Neoplasia ◽

Hpv Infection ◽

Dot Blot ◽

Homologous Sequences ◽

Normal Cervical Epithelium ◽

The Relationship ◽

Chronic Cervicitis

There are more supports for the view that human papillomavirus (HPV) infection might be an etiological factor in the development of cervical cancer when the association of persistent condylomata is considered. Biopsies from 318 cases with squamous cell carcinoma of uterine cervix, 48 with cervical and vulvar condylomata, 14 with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), 34 with chronic cervicitis and 24 normal cervical epithelium were collected from 5 geographic regions of China with different cervical cancer mortalities. All specimens were prepared for Dot blot, Southern blot and in situ DNA-DNA hybridizations by using HPV-11, 16, 18 DNA labelled with 32P and 3H as probes to detect viral homologous sequences in samples. Among them, 32 cases with cervical cancer, 27 with condyloma and 10 normal cervical epitheliums were randomly chosen for comparative EM observation. The results showed that: 1), 192 out of 318 (60.4%) cases of cervical cancer were positive for HPV-16 DNA probe (Table I)

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Water-soluble amphiphilic ruthenium(ii) polypyridyl complexes as potential light-activated therapeutic agents

Chemical Communications ◽

10.1039/d0cc04397d ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 56 (65) ◽

pp. 9332-9335

Author(s):

Sandra Estalayo-Adrián ◽

Salvador Blasco ◽

Sandra A. Bright ◽

Gavin J. McManus ◽

Guillermo Orellana ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cervical Cancer ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Cellular Uptake ◽

Therapeutic Agents ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Polypyridyl Complexes ◽

Cervical Cancer Cells

Two new water-soluble amphiphilic Ru(ii) polypyridyl complexes were synthesised and their photophysical and photobiological properties evaluated; both complexes showed a rapid cellular uptake and phototoxicity against HeLa cervical cancer cells.

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