# Type of treatment, operated organ and sexual functioning of patients with cervical cancer

## TL;DR

This study examines how cancer treatment and other factors affect the sexual functioning of women with cervical cancer.

## Contribution

The study provides insights into how treatment type and quality of life influence sexual functioning in cervical cancer patients.

## Key findings

- Patients with less discomfort and better overall functioning report better sexual functioning.
- Radiation therapy is associated with more difficulties in functioning compared to other treatments.

## Abstract

Cancer treatment affects every area of a patient's life. Currently available cancer treatment methods not only increase the chances of survival, but also challenge patients to return to their pre-disease lifestyle. This means that a patient's functioning both during and after the disease consists not only of satisfaction in the spheres of family life and work life, but also sexual functioning. The primary objective of the presented study was to assess the sexual functioning of female patients, taking the type of treatment, quality of life domains and sociodemographic factors into account. The study was conducted on 70 women between the ages of 32 and 84 at the Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy of the University Clinical Center, and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecologic Oncology and Gynecologic Endocrinology in Gdansk, Poland in 2021. The results indicate that patients who experience less discomfort and have better ratings of their overall functioning also report better ratings of their sexual functioning, and are less likely to report irritating complaints. Women treated with radiation therapy report more difficulties in functioning than patients who did not receive this treatment.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00520-025-10101-y.