Quality of Life in Cervical Cancer Survivors Treated with Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy.

Background and Objectives: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally. As survival rates gradually increase, it becomes necessary to assess the quality of life (QoL) after treatment. It is known that different treatment modalities have different effects on QoL. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the QoL of cervical cancer survivors (CCSs) treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional monocentric study, conducted in Vilnius university hospital Santaros klinikos between November 2018 and November 2022, included 20 women, who were interviewed once using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)-designed Quality-of-Life questionnaire cervical cancer module (QLQ-CX24). The sociodemographic and clinical data as well as the results of the questionnaire are presented in mean, standard deviation and percentages. The QoL scores were compared between different age and stage groups using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Twenty participants, aged from 27 to 55 years, with a mean age of 44 years (SD = 7.6) participated in the study. All the participants were CCSs with an International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage from IB to IIIB and all of them were treated with CCRT. The symptom experience was relatively low and revealed a good result (21.8, SD = 10.2). Mean scores on body image, sexual/vaginal functioning, menopausal symptoms and sexual worry scales indicated moderate functioning and a moderate level of some of the cervical cancer specific symptoms after CCRT. Sexual activity and sexual enjoyment of the CCSs were low (11.7 (SD = 16.3), 14.3 (SD = 17.8), respectively). Conclusions: Cervical cancer survivors report a relatively good quality of life regarding symptom experience; however, women following concurrent chemoradiotherapy tend not to be sexually active and rarely feel sexual enjoyment. In addition, this treatment modality negatively affects a woman's body image and self-perception as a woman.

Emerging Use of Vaginal Laser to Treat Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause for Breast Cancer Survivors: A Review.

Breast cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy and endocrine therapy, can cause earlier and more sudden menopausal symptoms. Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) is one of the most bothersome side effects of breast cancer treatment, resulting in sexual dysfunction and impaired quality of life. GSM includes genital, urinary, and sexual symptoms. However, alleviating symptoms of GSM for breast cancer survivors may be challenging due to ineffectiveness, contraindications, and low adherence to treatment. The most recent data show the feasibility and safety of vaginal laser to treat GSM for breast cancer survivors. This narrative review provides the aspects of GSM in breast cancer patients, putting the focus on the efficacy and safety of vaginal laser therapy.