Leonetti Antonella, Puglisi Guglielmo, Rossi Marco, Viganò Luca, Conti Nibali Marco, Gay Lorenzo, Sciortino Tommaso, Fornia Luca, Cerri Gabriella, Bello Lorenzo
Laboratory of Motor Control, Department of Medical Biotechnologies and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Scientific Institut for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare (IRCCS) Galeazzi Sant'Ambrogio, Milan, Italy.
Front Oncol. 2024 Oct 30;14:1483697. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1483697. eCollection 2024.
Sexual functioning is a multifaceted aspect of human life that can be profoundly affected in patients with glioma. Most frequent symptoms include reduced sexual desire, difficulties in sexual arousal, or low satisfaction. Such symptoms may cause distress or interpersonal difficulties, inevitably resulting in negative outcomes on different domains of patients' quality of life. Despite this, sexuality is rarely addressed by medical staff and remains understudied. An important question still unanswered is whether sexual dysfunctions in glioma patients correlate with features of the tumor itself, with its treatment, or with the secondary effects of the tumor on the patient's psychological status. To answer this question, the present study aims to investigate the incidence of sexual life impairments in a very large population of patients with low- and high-grade gliomas, focusing on demographic, clinical, and treatment factors associated with their occurrence and developments.
A total of 148 patients treated for glioma were evaluated for sexual functioning, i.e., sexual dysfunction (SD), relationship status (RS), intercourse frequency (IF), and sexual satisfaction (SS), by using a specific anonymous questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were utilized to investigate participant characteristics and to evaluate the occurrence of sexual problems. Chi-squared tests were performed to detect the association between "SS" or "IF" and different clinical/demographic factors as well as between "SS" or "IF" and the "subjective-personal skills judgment".
Results showed no difference between male and female patients, a very low frequency (1.4%) of SD, but a consistent percentage (25%) of subjective deterioration in sexual wellbeing. Notably, 24% of patients reported to have interrupted their relationship after the diagnosis. Chi-squared analyses reveal an association between adjuvant treatments (chemotherapy and radiotherapy) and reduction of IF. Interestingly, "SS" or "IF" was not associated with demographic, clinical, or histomolecular factors.
Our study showed that sexual problems in glioma patients are not uncommon, and they are especially linked to SS, RS, and IF. Specifically, intercourse frequency reduction is associated with the adjuvant treatments. Results highlight the need for improved assessment strategies and interventions tailored to the unique needs of brain tumor patients.
性功能是人类生活的一个多方面的内容，在胶质瘤患者中可能会受到深刻影响。最常见的症状包括性欲减退、性唤起困难或满意度低。这些症状可能会导致痛苦或人际关系困难，不可避免地会对患者生活质量的不同方面产生负面影响。尽管如此，医护人员很少关注性问题，对此的研究仍然不足。一个尚未得到解答的重要问题是，胶质瘤患者的性功能障碍是与肿瘤本身的特征、其治疗方法相关，还是与肿瘤对患者心理状态的继发影响相关。为了回答这个问题，本研究旨在调查大量低级别和高级别胶质瘤患者性生活受损的发生率，重点关注与这些情况的发生和发展相关的人口统计学、临床和治疗因素。
通过使用一份特定的匿名问卷，对总共148例接受胶质瘤治疗的患者进行性功能评估，即性功能障碍（SD）、关系状况（RS）、性交频率（IF）和性满意度（SS）。使用描述性统计来调查参与者的特征并评估性问题的发生情况。进行卡方检验以检测“SS”或“IF”与不同临床/人口统计学因素之间以及“SS”或“IF”与“主观个人技能判断”之间的关联。
结果显示男性和女性患者之间没有差异，性功能障碍的发生率很低（1.4%），但性健康主观恶化的比例一致（25%）。值得注意的是，24%的患者报告在诊断后中断了他们的关系。卡方分析显示辅助治疗（化疗和放疗）与性交频率降低之间存在关联。有趣的是，“SS”或“IF”与人口统计学、临床或组织分子因素无关。
我们的研究表明，胶质瘤患者的性问题并不罕见，并且它们尤其与性满意度、关系状况和性交频率相关。具体而言，性交频率降低与辅助治疗有关。结果强调需要改进评估策略并针对脑肿瘤患者的独特需求进行干预。
