Sexual dysfunction after radiotherapy for cancer of the cervix uteri

Investigations of sexual consciousness and sexual dysfunction after radiotherapy for cancer of the cervix uteri were performed on patients of middle and old ages by questionnaires and questionning by doctors, and the following results were obtained. 1. Before radiotherapy, sexual activity was most prominent in their twenties and thirties. However, patients who were in fifties when this study was performed had most active sexual lives during the ages from 35 to 50 years. 2. Frequencies of sexual intercourse decreased markedly just before radiotherapy, and many patients received radiotherapy when sexual activity fell. 3. 32% of the patients have not experienced sexual intercourse after radiotherapy. 4. Decreases in the sex urge, sexuality, vaginal dicharge, and frequency of sexual intercourse after radiotherapy were recognized in 77%, 77%, 70%, and 93% respectively. 5. Patients who became unwilling to maintain sexual lives after radiotherapy because of fear about recurrence or aggravation of cancer were 38% by questionnaires and 49% by questionning by doctors. 6. Pains on sexual intercourse were found in 69% by questionnaires and 49% by questionning by doctors. Most pains occurred at pennis insertion and was thought to be due to atrophy and inflammation of vagina and external genitalia in most cases. 7. Both vaginal damages and sexual dysfunction in patients with radiotherapy following surgery for cancer of the cervix uteri, in patients with radiotherapy alone for cancer of the cervix uteri, and in patients with radiotherapy following surgery for cancer of the ovary and corpus uteri were marked, modest and mild, respectively. 8. Vaginal damage score was higher in patients treated more than 5 years before than those less than 2 years ago, but there were no differences in sexual dysfunction score between both groups. (Tsunoda, M.)