Abstract 1881P
Background
French cancer survivors face a multitude of challenges including issues related to sexual health (SH). Little is known about the SH of survivors of non-sexual cancers. In this study, we aimed to assess the level of deterioration in SH 5 years after cancer diagnosis and to identify associated factors.
Methods
We performed a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data collected 5 years after cancer diagnosis, from the VICAN French nationwide longitudinal prospective study. Eligible participants were French cancer survivors (12 types of cancers), aged 23 to 87 and respondents to sexual questions. SH was assessed using 6 items from the Relationship and Sexuality Scale. An ascending hierarchical classification enabled us to classify the respondents in 4 clusters: strong, moderate, weak deterioration and stability (SD, MD, WD and St). Weighted analyses univariate and multivariate were performed using STATA 12.0.
Results
Out of 2195 eligible participants, 57.3% were classified with substantial deterioration of SH, either SD (30.8%), MD (26.5%). WD and St represented respectively 31.2% and 11.5% of the respondents. Substantial deterioration was observed for all tumor sites, whatever gender and age. Rates ranged from 83.1% (prostate) to 27.7% (melanoma), and from 67.8% in men to 50.2% in women, and from 72.1% in older (aged 58 to 87) to 46.0% in younger (aged 23 to 57) survivors.
Apart from genitally located cancer, type of treatment and consequences such as general sequelae, pain were the primary factors associated with substantial SH deterioration in our sample, as well as psychological consequences such as depression and anxiety, especially for younger patients. The same factors were found when restricting the analysis to non-sexual cancers survivors (Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, lung, upper aero-digestive tract, thyroid, and melanoma).
Conclusions
We showed that five years after diagnosis, the majority of French cancer survivors reported a SH deterioration.
Interventions should be developed to improve SH of patients regardless of the site of their cancer, the age or gender. Particular attention should be paid to depression and anxiety, specifically in younger cancer survivors who seem to be more affected by these troubles.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
VICAN Group.
Funding
French National Institute of Cancer (Institut National du Cancer, INCa) “Contrat de recherche et développement no 05-2011.”.
Disclosure
A. Gonçalves: Travel/Accommodation/Expenses: Astra Zeneca; Roche; Pfizer; Novartis. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.