Sexuality After Breast Cancer: Need for Guideline

Background: Clinical experiences have revealed that patients with breast cancerexperience various sexual problems following their treatment. Breast cancernegatively impacts the sexual life of the afflicted couples, and as a traumaticevent can influence women’s psychosexual functioning and intimate relationship.This review focuses on sexuality after breast cancer and on a growing need forbio-psycho-social guidelines for breast cancer treatment.Methods: This study aims to review the literature on management, psychologicaloutcomes and sexual dysfunction in patients with breast cancer.Results: Although the benefits of the current treatment strategies are wellestablished, many cancer survivors are at risk for developing psycho physiologicalsymptoms including sexual dysfunction. Cancer and treatment-related factors caninfluence sexual functioning. We review current treatment -related side effects onsexual functioning such as desire, arousal and orgasm in breast cancer patients.Despite the impact of medical treatment on survival of patients with breast cancer,no satisfactory steps have been taken towards improving sexual functioning ofthese patients.Conclusion: Breast cancer affects many aspects of sexuality, including changes inphysical functioning and in the perception of feminity. Sexual dysfunction followingbreast cancer should be diagnosed and managed as a systematic approach withmultidisciplinary inputs. Healthcare professionals should assess the effects ofmedical and surgical treatment on the sexuality of breast cancer survivors.