North African Breast Cancer Study: Body Image and Sexual Function After Mastectomy
Posted: Tuesday, October 20, 2020
Body image was found to be lower among menopausal women after mastectomy, according to a study presented at the 2020 International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS) Annual Global Meeting (Abstract 1361). However, O. Kaabia, MD, of the Farhat Hached Teaching Hospital Sousse, Tunisia, and colleagues also reported that menopausal women who had undergone mastectomy had no sexual function difference.
A total of 200 patients in menopause with breast cancer were enrolled in the study. The patients were separated into two groups: those who underwent conservative surgery and those who had radical breast surgery. Data were collected via the Body-Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults survey and the Arab Female Sexual Function Index.
The researchers reported a median tumor size of 3.6 cm (± 1.2) in the conservative-surgery group and 6.1 cm (± 2.6) in the radical-surgery group. The patients reported a lower body image esteem after mastectomy, with the authors noting a significant difference in the item for appearance (P = .047). Though body image esteem was lower after mastectomy, the surgery seemed to have had no significant effect on sexual function in either group. The authors did note; however, there was an inversely positive correlation between the husband’s education level and sexual dysfunction in the female partner (P = .042).
Disclosure: No disclosure information was provided for the study authors.