J Korean Oncol Nurs.  2009 Feb;9(1):60-66.

Sexual Function of Breast Cancer Survivors and Healthy Women : A Comparative Study

• Kim HY
• So HS
• Chae MJ

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to analyse the level of sexual function among breast cancer survivors as compared with that among healthy women. METHOD: A total of 208 women participated in this study: 103 breast cancer survivors attending self-help group and 105 community-residing healthy women in G city. A self-reported questionnaire with the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was used to obtain data. Data were analyzed using the SPSS Win 14.0 K+ for descriptive statistics, t-test, and two-way ANOVA.
RESULTS
The sexual function score of breast cancer survivors was significantly lower than that of healthy women, respectively 14.9+/-9.9 and 20.6+/-11.1 (p<0.001). The sexual function of recurrent breast cancer survivors was significantly lower than that of women without recurrence. However, there were no significant differences in the sexual function score according to the cancer stage, period since diagnosis, and types of cancer treatment modality.
CONCLUSION
The findings indicate the importance of sex-related counseling and educational programs to improve the quality of life of breast cancer survivors.

Keyword

Sexual function; Breast cancer survivors

MeSH Terms

Breast
Breast Neoplasms
Counseling
Female
Humans
Quality of Life
Surveys and Questionnaires
Recurrence
Self-Help Groups
Survivors