SynthesisSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2025
The impact of anal cancer treatment on female sexuality and intimacy: a systematic review.
Synthesis in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeAnal cancer has been on the increase for many years. Despite a higher incidence in women, most research focuses on men. Concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy is the gold standard of care in the curative setting. While the overall 5-year survival rate is about 70%, many women experience life-altering sequelae of treatment including those affecting sexual function and intimacy. This systematic review aims to identify and synthesise the patient-reported impacts of anal cancer treatment on female sexual function and intimacy.
methodsWe searched five electronic databases: Medline, CINHAL, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Embase from database inception to 7th October 2024. Quantitative and qualitative studies reporting patient-reported sexual function and intimacy impacts following treatment for anal cancer were eligible. Two reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data. We used a narrative synthesis approach to analyse the findings.
resultsOf 338 abstracts retrieved, 26 articles reporting 25 quantitative studies met the eligibility criteria. Findings indicate that overall sexual function was negatively impacted with dyspareunia (pain/discomfort during sex) and sexual function (including interest, arousal, and desire) among the most frequently assessed outcomes. Effects were shown to persist for at least 6-year post-treatment completion resulting in complete abstinence from sexual intercourse for many women.
conclusionsConcurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy used in the treatment of anal cancer can have lasting effects on female sexual function and intimacy. The limited available evidence and large amounts of missing data suggest that the severity and extent of this problem are under-reported. Qualitative research may provide a more in-depth understanding.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.