USA Today reported this week on new prostate cancer research linking specific genetic markers to different outcomes for people with prostate cancer. The researchers studied the DNA of over 1,300 American and 2,900 Swedish men who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. They then compared 'bio-markers' with the outcome of the cancer in the hopes of developing diagnostic tests which can give doctors a better idea of how aggressive prostate cancer might be for a individual.
This could be good news for people diagnosed with prostate cancer especially as it seems like there is a lot of agreement that treatment may be too frequent and too aggressive following any diagnosis, and treatment for prostate cancer often comes with sexual side effects. Any research that could lead to a reduction in over-treatment seems like good research to continue. But the article got me thinking.
There's a lot I don't know about cancer and sexuality and cancer is not an area of specialty for me. But there's something I do know. All cancer treatments have an impact on sexuality. Regardless of what kind of cancer you are treating, if you are going through any form of chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment, the impact on your sexuality is almost always significant. Even if they aren't removing body parts that we think of as sexual (i.e. genitals, breasts), things like pain, fatigue, changes in your body, strain on relationships, fears about the future, anxiety, and more all could be considered negative sexual side effects of cancer treatment. And yet when it comes to cancer I feel like there is way more focus on the negative sexual side effects of prostate cancer treatment.
This may seem obvious since prostate cancer is in the prostate, which is physically right up in a guy's genitalia and treatment often impacts erectile functioning. But it doesn't explain why we don't talk as much about other types of cancer and sexuality. I feel like it's been a huge effort to get the breast cancer industry to acknowledge the importance of talking about sexuality, and still sexual side effects are way down on the list of what someone with breast cancer is likely to learn about from the media or medical literature written for patients. And I can't remember the last time I heard about sexual side effects of ovarian or cervical cancer.
I know this is complicated, different cancers aren't the same and they don't' have the same kinds of outcomes (a pretty way for saying some cancers kill you faster, some slower, and some so slow that you die from something else first). And again, this is a blog post where I'm sharing a thought, not a statement of fact. But since my work involves being in non-medical settings talking with people who are living with cancer often about their sex lives, what I know is that everyone would benefit from researchers and doctors thinking about the way that our sexuality is impacted from medical treatments. I'm glad that this is happening with prostate cancer, I'm just a bit frustrated by what feels like a compartmentalized approach to sexuality which leads to lots and lots of people who are being treated for cancer having parts of themselves ignored.
Since this isn't something I write much about, I asked some of my fellow About.com Guides who do write about cancer (and some of whom live with cancer), to share their thoughts. Here's what they had to say:
Karen Raymaakers, who writes is the Guide to Leukemia and Lymphoma shared this:
"Early on in my career, I remember asking one of the hematologists that I worked with "What do you tell your patients about their sex life and fertility when they start treatment for leukemia?" and he laughed and said "I don't have to tell them anything- the chemo knocks the will out of them." Sadly I think that summarizes a pretty common belief and also is a reflection of our society's discomfort in discussing healthy sexuality. I certainly believe that we are doing a disservice to patients with "non- sex organ" cancers by not acknowledging this in our patient education."
Matthew Schmitz, About.com's Guide to Prostate Cancer writes:
"For men who have undergone treatment for prostate cancer, many can attest to the fact that not all of the sexual side effects resulting from treatment are purely physical or easily measurable. Pain, anxiety, and depression are just three factors that can hamper sexual function following prostate cancer treatment - and there are many more."
And Lisa Fayed, who writes from a cross-cancer perspective as the Guide to Cancer adds:
"I have yet to meet a cancer patient whose sexuality was not affected directly or indirectly by treatment. It remains somewhat of a taboo topic among patients. Far too often I have heard, "I knew I was going to lose my hair, but my libido, too?". Unlike hair loss and fatigue, the sexual side effects of treatment aren't part of typical "water cooler banter" when going through treatment. The lack of awareness about sexual side effects has caused many people with cancer to become inhibited about their sexuality and often prevents them from seeking help. Maintaining intimacy and sexuality during treatment is more important than ever! Perhaps if more light was shed about how cancer treatment may affect the sex lives of people with all types of cancer, affected patients would feel less isolated and more willing to open up about the sexual side effects they are experiencing."
If you have thoughts on the way that different cancers are treated differently by both the media and research, feel free to share them below. And if you want to know more about sexuality and cancer, check out these articles from About.com:
- Frequently Un- asked Questions About Sex Life and Blood Cancers
- Prostate Cancer and Sex
- Sex and Breast Cancer
- The Sexual Side Effects of Chemotherapy
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