Current sexual health care has not yet succeeded to guide men and their partners sufficiently when it comes to dealing with the consequences of prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis and treatment. The... Show moreCurrent sexual health care has not yet succeeded to guide men and their partners sufficiently when it comes to dealing with the consequences of prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis and treatment. The majority of men need a standardized consultation with a specialized healthcare provider (HCP) to discuss sexual health issues preferably within three months after treatment. Although current written information provision coming from urology departments discusses sexual health more often than radiotherapy departments; sexual dysfunction (SD) is still not routinely addressed. Focus during consultations is mostly on men while most of the partners also experience difficulties when dealing with sexual side effects. Regarding HCPs, urology residents experience lack of knowledge and competence to treat SD after PCa treatment and an unmet need exists for additional education and training. A symposium on sexual health care in PCa led to an increase of awareness to discuss SD more often during consultations. In case HCPs feel lack of knowledge, competence, time or tools to discuss sexual health after PCa treatment, referral to a specialized HCP should occur; according to the needs and preferences of men and their partners. However, management of outpatient clinics and availability of referral options are still in need of melioration. Show less
Sexuality is a significant quality-of-life concern for many cancer patients. Patients may be disadvantaged if they are not informed and not offered sexual health care. We sought to reveal... Show moreSexuality is a significant quality-of-life concern for many cancer patients. Patients may be disadvantaged if they are not informed and not offered sexual health care. We sought to reveal oncologists' current practice and opinions concerning sexual counselling. The aim of this study was to explore the knowledge, attitude and practice patterns of Dutch medical oncologists regarding treatment-related sexual dysfunction. Questionnaires were sent to 433 members of the Dutch Society of Medical Oncology. The majority (81.5%) of the 120 responding medical oncologists (response rate 30.6%) stated they discussed sexual function with fewer than half of their patients. At the same time, 75.8% of the participating oncologists agreed that addressing sexual function is their responsibility. Sexual function was discussed more often with younger patients and patients with a curative treatment intent. Barriers for avoiding discussing sexual function were lack of time (56.1%), training (49.5%) and advanced age of the patient (50.4%). More than half (64.6%) stated they had little knowledge about the subject and the majority (72.9%) wanted to acquire additional training in sexual function counselling. Medical oncologists accept that sexual function counselling falls within their profession, yet they admit to not counselling patients routinely concerning sexual function. Only in a minority of cases do medical oncologists inform their patients about sexual side effects of treatment. Whether they counsel patients is related to how they view patient's prognosis, patient's age, and self-reported knowledge. Findings indicate there is a role for developing education and practical training. Show less
