The state of the art on sexuality after treatment of prostate cancer: Is recovery of erectile function sufficient?

  • Auteur Cobi Reisman, Woet Gianotten
  • Pdf openbaar Yes

In men over 45 years, prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer. For this group of men, attention to quality of life and especially sexuality is of great importance. All possible treatments for prostate cancer cause to some extent functional damage as well as psychological problems, resulting in a wide range of sexual disturbances. Known sexual consequences of treatment include reduced desire, erectile dysfunction, anejaculation, orgasm disorders, loss of urine during the orgasm (climacturia) and change in length and shape of the penis.
A man with prostate cancer has not only to deal with uncertainty of the course of the disease, but has also to deal with physical, cognitive and sexual problems and changes in relationship with his partner. Where the medical literature had mainly attention to the loss of an erection, there is now more attention to other sexual disturbances caused by the treatment of prostate cancer.
For some men, the medical interventions work well for those sexual dysfunction, but erection and orgasm are just ingredients and not the whole sexual recipe. An extensive multidisciplinary approach is needed to understand and optimize the needed help for the men and their partners.

Gepubliceerd in 2017, Volume 41, Issue 4

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