title: High rate of sexual dysfunction following surgery for rectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although rectal cancer is a very common malignancy and has an improved cure rate in response to oncological treatment, research on rectal-cancer survivors' sexual function remains limited. Sexual dysfunction (SD) after rectal cancer treatment was measured, and possible predisposing factors that may have an impact on the development of this disorder were identified.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients undergoing curative rectal cancer surgery from January 2012 to September 2013 were surveyed using questionnaires. The female sexual function index or the International Index of Erectile Function was recorded. A multiple logistic regression was used to test associations of clinical factors with outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-six men (56%) and 28 women (44%) who completed the questionnaire were included in the study. A total of 76 patients of the 86 patients (90.5%) with the diagnosis of rectal cancer who were included in this study reported different levels of SD after radical surgery. A total of 64 patients (76%) from the whole cohort reported moderate to severe SD after treatment of rectal cancer. Gender (P = 0.011) was independently associated with SD. Female patients reported significantly higher rates of moderate to severe SD than male patients. Patients were rarely treated for dysfunction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sexual problems after surgery for rectal cancer are common, but patients are rarely treated for SD. Female patients reported higher rates of SD than males. These results point out the importance of sexual (dys)function in survivors of rectal cancer. More attention should be drawn to this topic for clinical and research purposes.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Wafi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Attaallah
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Caglar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ertekin
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ilker
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tinay
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cumhur
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yegen
keywords: Rectal neoplasms; Sexual dysfunction