Cross-sectional study of psychosocial well-being among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and heterosexual gynecologic cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: Delays in care and increased risk for mental health diagnoses put individuals identifying as a sexual minority with cancer at risk for decreased quality of life. AIM: To assess psychosocial health among sexual minority gynecologic cancer survivors, we compared self-reported quality of life and psychosocial measures between individuals diagnosed with gynecologic cancers identifying as lesbian/gay/bisexual (LGB) and heterosexual. METHODS AND RESULTS: English-speaking adults with gynecologic cancers were invited to participate in an ongoing cohort survey study. Quality of life and psychosocial measures included the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General, Distress Thermometer (distress), Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (depression), General Anxiety Disorder-7 (anxiety), and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (post-traumatic stress disorder; PTSD). Measures were compared by self-reported sexual orientation (heterosexual vs. LGB) using descriptive statistics (frequencies and means) and linear and logistic regression models, adjusting for college education. Of 814 patients invited, 457 enrolled (56.1%) and 401 (92.6%) completed the survey and provided information on their sexuality. All but one self-identified as cisgender women and 22 (5.5%) as LGB. LGB participants were more likely to have completed college (68.2% vs. 40.1%, p = .009) but were otherwise similar across demographic and clinical characteristics. Quality of life and distress scores were similar between groups. LGB participants, compared to heterosexual, reported higher rates of depression (31.8% vs. 10.6%, adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 4.1 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.6-11.0], p = .004), anxiety (25.0% vs. 7.1%, adjusted OR = 5.4 [95% CI: 1.7-16.7], p= .004), and PTSD (13.6% vs. 3.5%, adjusted OR = 4.2 [95% CI: 1.1-16.3], p = .04). CONCLUSION: LGB participants reported poorer emotional health following a gynecologic cancer diagnosis than heterosexual participants. Our data suggest this population may need additional resources and support during and after their cancer diagnosis. Future work is needed to identify additional risk factors and the underlying sources of these disparities in order to improve patient care and wellness in this population.

Increased risk of dementia in patients with genital warts: A nationwide cohort study in Taiwan.

Genital warts are a common sexually transmitted disease caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. The prevalence of dementia is 4-8% in those aged 65 years or older in Taiwanese community studies, with a high social and economic burden for patients, family caregivers, the community and society. Previous studies have shown that viral infections such as herpes simplex and herpes zoster were associated with dementia. This study aimed to investigate the association between dementia and HPV infections. A population-based cohort study using data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database was conducted. Fine and Grays's survival analysis was employed to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between genital warts and dementia. From all of the potential participants aged 50 years or more, a total of 16 116 patients were enrolled, including 4029 genital warts-infected patients, with 12 087 sex-, age- and indexed date-matched controls (1:3). The cumulative incidences of dementia were 10.72 per 103  person-years and 6.43 per 103  person-years in the genital warts and control group, respectively. There were 475 dementia cases from the genital warts cohort during the follow-up period of 15 years. The adjusted HR for dementia was 1.485 (95% CI, 1.321-1.668; P < 0.001) for genital warts patients after adjusting for all of the covariates. Our study indicates that genital warts infection may increase the risk of dementia.

Incidence and risk factors for suicide death in male patients with genital-system cancer in the United States.

BACKGROUND: A diagnosis of cancer is associated with increased risks of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Genital-system cancer comprises nearly a third of all cancers in males. We used the SEER database to identify the incidence of and risk factors for suicide death in male patients with genital-system cancer in the United States. METHOD: Patients were selected from the SEER database, and X-tile software was used to find the best cutoffs for stratifying age. Logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors for suicide death. Only variables that were statistically significant in the univariate logistic regression models were analyzed in multivariate logistic regression models. RESULT: This study found that age (18-66 vs ≥ 76 years: OR = 3.300, P < 0.001; 67-75 vs ≥ 76 years: OR = 1.832, P < 0.001), being unmarried (OR = 1.332, P = 0.010), being divorced, separated, or widowed (OR = 1.338, P = 0.002), caucasian (OR = 2.074, P = 0.003) and not receiving surgery or having an unknown surgery status (OR = 1.405, P < 0.001) significantly increased the risk of suicide death. A particularly important finding was that a time of <1 year after the diagnosis was related to an increased risk of suicide death (<1 vs ≥ 10 years: OR = 1.761, P = 0.008). CONCLUSION: We found that a number of factors significantly increased the risk of suicide. Importantly, a time of <1 year after the diagnosis was related to an increased risk of suicide death, which indicates the importance of identifying and treating people at risk of suicide as early as possible. These can help clinicians to understand suicidal patients and provide them with appropriate support.

Knowledge of reproductive system cancers, their treatments and side effects.

We explored, via an online questionnaire, knowledge of breast and reproductive system cancers in patients and non-patients who access the internet for information on these diseases. We compared that knowledge to the attention the diseases have received in medical research and on the Internet. Data were collected from 690 respondents (37 % male, 63 % female) about their knowledge of prevalence, lethality, treatments and side effects of testicular, prostate, breast, uterine, cervical and ovarian cancers. Most males, but only half of the female participants, were patients themselves. Although participants showed better knowledge of cancers specific to their own sex, both sexes felt familiar with breast cancer and less aware of other cancers. Women were as aware as men of side effects of treatments for male reproductive cancers. Sex differences in awareness appear to reflect different attitudes towards illness, bias toward females as caregivers, and the disproportionate media attention given to breast cancer.

The impact of cancer on sexual function.

Almost any diagnosis of cancer, but particularly those primarily affecting areas related to sexual function, can lead to sexual impairment. Multiple phases of sexuality are impacted, and various dysfunctions result. Both biological and psychosocial mechanisms are involved in sexual difficulties after cancer. This chapter principally focuses on the detrimental effects of breast, cervical, vulvar, ovarian, prostate and testicular cancer on the sexual health of survivors. When applicable, pharmacologic and psychosocial treatment for sexual dysfunction is discussed.

Men and cancer: the gender dimension.

Cancer affects more men than women; evidence shows that men are almost 40%more likely than women to die from cancer (Men's Health Forum, 2009). The three cancers that only affect men are penile, prostate and testicular cancers, with prostate cancer being the most common of all cancers in men. This article provides an overview of the health of men in the UK from a male cancer perspective. It suggests that gender is a significant determinant of health status, and that the nurse must take this into account when providing health services and when planning and devising strategy and policy. There are complexities and inter-relationships between gender and social class, ethnicity, disability, sexuality and age that are associated with male health. Ways in which the challenges faced by men and ways in which men access health services are discussed. Further research is needed to address this important healthcare issue.

Liposarcoma desdiferenciado de alto grado de cordón espermático. A propósito de un caso / High grade dedifferenciated liposarcoma. Case report and review of the literature

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Preservation of function in genitourinary cancers: psychosexual and psychosocial issues.

GU cancers are commonly associated with treatment-related sexual dysfunction, varying from mild to severe. For the clinical oncologist, it is important to be aware that sexual problems or sexual dysfunction may occur as a result of any aspect of cancer and cancer treatment. Sexual function is sensitive to the effects of trauma, both physical and emotional. This is particularly the case for patients whose cancer affects their genitals. Despite some commonalities of psychosocial and psychosexual issues in GU patients across diagnostic categories, GU patients do not present as one distinct, homogeneous group. GU neoplasms, with the exception of bladder cancer, affect mostly men. Men and women tend to differ in their ways of dealing with emotional distress and physical illness. While the man may typically do well using denial as a defense and may not want to discuss his feelings about his diagnosis and treatment, his partner may suffer if her way of coping is oriented toward communicating thoughts and feelings about the situation. Another important difference in this population is related to age and developmental differences. Testicular cancer typically is diagnosed in young men between the ages of 15 and 34 (46). The patients often still live with their parents or have just formed families of their own. In contrast, prostate cancer is diagnosed in older men, who are at a completely different stage in their lives when they have to deal with this challenge. Developmental stage at the time of diagnosis and treatment is an important variable in adaptation to cancer (47). Since GU malignancies and their treatments directly or indirectly affect sexual organs and sexual functioning, issues of sexual body image and identity as men or women are frequent concerns for GU patients. This is most obviously the case for men facing penectomy or orchiectomy. Similarly, women undergoing cystectomy with its simultaneous removal of uterus, ovaries, and parts of the vaginal wall face issues regarding their femininity as well as doubts about future sexual functioning. However, body image concerns are not limited to these two groups but may affect any cancer patient. The experience of having lost all hair due to chemotherapy, bearing of surgical scars, lost or altered functioning, and just the realization of having had cancer may change the way a patient feels about his/her body permanently.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Decision making during serious illness: what role do patients really want to play?

Two surveys were conducted to determine what roles people actually want to assume in selecting cancer treatments. 436 newly diagnosed cancer patients and 482 members of the general public participated. Preferences were elicited using two card sort procedures, each of which described five potential roles in decision making. Findings suggested that the impact of being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness may influence preferences to participate. The majority (59%) of patients wanted physicians to make treatment decisions on their behalf, but 64% of the public thought they would want to select their own treatment if they developed cancer. Most patients (51%) and members of the public (46%) wanted their physician and family to share responsibility for decision making if they were too ill to participate. Sociodemographic variables accounted for only 15% of variance in preferences. These variables are not particularly useful in making predictions about which groups want more or less active roles in medical decision making.

Follow-up of men with genital papilloma virus infection. Psychosexual aspects.

Genital papilloma virus infection (GPVI) is in many patients a longlasting, relapsing disease for which no effective treatment is available. This fact and the association between the virus and cancer puts much stress on the afflicted patient. Of 41 men with GPVI interviewed, 17 (40%) reported a negative effect of the disease on their sexual life. Most distressing was the fear of transmitting the disease to their partner. After 18 months, 15 (37%) of the 41 men still exhibited signs of GPVI. In the care of patients with GPVI, more attention needs to be paid to the psychosexual effects of the disease.

Sexual functioning morbidity among cancer survivors. Current status and future research directions.

The current article reviews available data and considers methodologic issues for future research in which sexual functioning among adult cancer patients is an endpoint variable. Circumstances that may cause sexual disruption for any cancer patient are suggested, including mood disturbance, changed health status, somatization, and reprioritization of life concerns. Data on the incidence and magnitude of sexual functioning morbidity following the diagnosis and treatment of cancer at major organ sites, including breast, genital, colon, rectum, and bladder, are reviewed. Finally, strategies for continuing descriptive study of the sexual problems of cancer patients are suggested. Such data are necessary to eventually target preventive or therapeutic resources to patients in greatest need.