The Forgotten Aspects of Quality of Life after Cancer
ISSC encourages British charity Macmillan’s Campaign on Sexual Relationships in Cancer to go global
During the month of May 2009, British charity Macmillan Cancer Support is launching
a National Campaign to raise awareness of how cancer and its treatments affect sexual
relationships. A recent Macmillan survey showed that 70% of cancer patients were
not spoken to by their Health Professionals, yet a third of them experienced sexual
dysfunction.
A review of the literature confirms that between 35-50% of cancer survivors will
experience a sexual dysfunction as a direct consequence of the treatments they receive.
Research further shows that professionals often don’t see it as their role to discuss
sexuality, and frequently don’t feel skilled or confident enough to raise the subject.
Health Professionals are frequently worried about offending patients by rasing such
a sensitive topic and assume a patient will raise the topic themselves if they have
a concern. Unfortunately, research also shows that patients do not usually feel
comfortable to be the first to bring up the topic of sexuality as they are not sure
whether it would be appropriate and whether anything could be done to address their
difficulties. Patients furthermore often don’t want to seem ungrateful when doctors
and treatments have saved their lives. The responsiblity of ensuring this sensitive
topic is raised therefore falls on professionals who have to ensure informed consent
to treatment and enable patients to return to leading lives which are as normal
as possible.
Macmillan Cancer Support has a prime position as an important political power
within the British health service. The campaign comes at a time when national cancer
guidance has seen an increased focus on Survivorship issues (http://www.improvement.nhs.uk/cancer/SurvivorshipLivingWithandBeyondCancer)
and is embedded in key documents such as the National Centre of Clinical Excellence
(NICE)’s Guidance on Palliative and Supportive Care (2004) (http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/index.jsp?action=byID&r=true&o=10893)
And the Cancer Reform Strategy (2007) (http://www.cancerimprovement.nhs.uk/View.aspx?page=/cancer_reform_strategy.html).
As part of the campaign, Macmillan will be promoting thier existing patient information
and developing online videos for patients showing health professionals addressing
some of the issues surrounding sexuality and cancer.
A Macmillan spokesperson said: “We are encouraging cancer patients to talk to
their health peofessionals about the problems they are experiencing and not suffer
alone. However, we know that many health professionals would like more support to
address these issues, which is why we are producing the online toolkit which will
include tips and advice on how to raise the topic with patients.
The campaign calls are for health professionals to talk to their patients about
the impact of cancer on their sexual relationships at the earliest possible time.
Commissioners of health care services are called on to ensure that all health care
professionals receive training in rehabilitation needs assessment including information
on psychosexual support. They are also called on to ensure cancer patients have
access to healthcare professionals with the necessary skills to offer the required
level of support.
ISSC welcomes this exciting development in the United Kingdom. We would like
to go a step further and encourage our members to think about what similar activities
or developments could be encouraged in different member states. Can this be the
start of an annual global campaign on “Intimacy & Sexuality – the Forgotten
Aspects of Quality of Life after Cancer”?
We invite our members to become messengers of spreading the idea and trying to
influence local cancer societies to follow the UK campaign and include sexuality
and intimacy in their campaigns and programs, to influence global cancer information
and to send messages to national, regional and global sexology organisations and
influence them to add the cancer topic to their sexuality work.
The Macmillan online toolkit and videos for people affected by cancer is on their
website
www.macmillan.org.uk/sex. A
range of existing patient information leaflets on Sexuality and cancer, Cancer,
you and your partner, Cancer treatment and fertility for men/women, Pelvic radiotherapy
for men/women: possible late effects, and Relationships, sex and fertility: for
your people affected by cancer, can be ordered in the UK on 0800 500 800.
For more information, please visit
www.macmillan.org.uk/sex.
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