ESMO 2022 | Sexual health after breast cancer: longitudinal assessment of PROs

Maria Alice Franzoi, MD, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France, discusses sexual concerns from survivors of breast cancer (BC) and how these concerns are negatively impacting quality of life. Patient outcomes of 7895 total patients were poor body image (32.1% pre-existing, which increased to 52.6%), poor sexual functioning (39.3%), poor sexual enjoyment (29.1% pre-existing, which increased to 38.1%) and sexual inactivity (39%). Dr Franzoi noted that sexual concerns increase substantially from BC to the post-treatment stage, with more than half of patients experiencing these concerns 2 years after diagnosis. She also discusses factors associated with sexual concerns including emotional distress, endocrine therapy and pre-existing diagnosis stage (T0) issues. Dr Franzoi concludes that communication about sexual health for cancer patients must be improved so that relevant counseling can be provided. This interview took place at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2022 Congress in Paris, France.