Impact of Cervical Cancer on Quality of Life and Sexuality in Female Survivors

Abstract

Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in women worldwide, and the 11th most frequent neoplasm in Spain. Despite the optimization of treatments and a 5-year survival rate of 70%, side effects and sequelae are described after treatment. The treatments have physical, psychological and sociocultural consequences that deteriorate the quality of life of patients. One of the sequelae that worries patients is the impairment of sexual function and satisfaction, considered a fundamental dimension of the human being. The aim of this study was to examine quality of life and sexual function and satisfaction among Spanish cervical cancer survivors. A retrospective case-control study was conducted between 2019 and 2022. The sample consisted of 66 patients who completed the Female Sexual Function Index, the Golombok Rust Sexual Satisfaction Inventory and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire. The control group consisted of women without cervical cancer and gynecological pathologies obtained using the so-called online virtual sampling method. The patient group consisted of women with cervical cancer who completed treatment. Cervical cancer survivors reported sexual dysfunction and impaired sexual satisfaction in almost half of the domains. Quality of life was also affected, with pain and fatigue being the most frequent symptoms in these patients. Our results indicate that there is dysfunction, sexual dissatisfaction and a lower level of quality of life in cervical cancer survivors than in healthy women without pathology.