Psychophysiological assessment of sexual function in women after radiotherapy and total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer: a pilot study on four patients.
BACKGROUND
The potential contribution of psychological and anatomical changes to sexual dysfunction in female patients following short-term preoperative radiotherapy (5 x 5 Gy) and total mesorectal excision (TME) is not clear. Aim. In this study we assessed female sexual dysfunction in patients who underwent radiotherapy and TME for rectal cancer.


METHODS
Genital arousal was assessed using vaginal videoplethysmography.


METHODS
Sexual functioning was examined in four patients who had rectal cancer and underwent radiotherapy and TME. All investigations were done at least 15 months after treatment. The results were compared with an age-matched group of 18 healthy women.


RESULTS
The patients and healthy controls showed comparable changes in vaginal vasocongestion during sexual arousal, though three out of four patients showed a lower mean spectral tension (MST) of the vaginal pulse compared with healthy controls. Subjective sexual arousal was equivalent between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
In this study the changes of genital and subjective sexual arousal after erotic stimulus condition between patients and healthy controls were not different, though lower MST of the vaginal pulse was found in three out of four patients compared with healthy women. Additional work, however, must be performed to clarify the mechanisms of sexual dysfunction following treatment of rectal cancer.
Breukink
Stephanie O
SO
Department of Surgery, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, the Netherlands;. Electronic address: sbreukink@msn.com.
Wouda
Jan C
JC
Department of Health Sciences, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, the Netherlands.
Van Der Werf-Eldering
Marieke J
MJ
Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, the Netherlands.
Van De Wiel
Harry B M
HBM
Department of Health Sciences, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, the Netherlands.
Bouma
Esther M C
EMC
Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, the Netherlands.
Pierie
Jean Pierre-En
JP
Department of Surgery, Medical Centre Leeuwarden, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands.
Wiggers
Theo
T
Department of Surgery, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, the Netherlands.
Meijerink
Jeroen W J H J
JWJHJ
Department of Surgery, VU Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Weijmar Schultz
Willibrord C M
WCM
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, the Netherlands.