WCLC 2022 | The sexual health assessment in woman in lung cancer (SHAWL)
Narjust Florez, MD, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, provides an overview of the Sexual Health Assessment in Women with Lung Cancer (SHAWL) study, which is the largest study evaluating sexual health in woman with lung cancer to date. The primary aim was to evaluate and determine the prevalence sexual dysfunction in patients who identify as female in lung cancer globally. This interview took place at the IASLC 2022 World Conference on Lung Cancer congress in Vienna, Austria.
Transcript (edited for clarity)
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Disclosures
The SHAWL study is the largest study evaluating sexual health in women with lung cancer to date. The majority of the data about sexual health and lung cancer preceded the approval or targeted therapy and immunotherapy. In addition, the majority of studies focus on sexual health in men and not in woman. Knowing that there is more lung cancer survivors that are women compared to men today, it brings the importance of addressing sexual health. And why is sexual health so important? Well, we know from data that patients that have sexual dysfunction are most likely to higher levels of pain, to have more symptom burden, to have lower self-esteem and higher risk of depression. So evaluating and addressing sexual health assures that all survivors have a better overall experience. What were the aims of the SHAWL study? But the aims were simple, we don’t know much about sexual health in women with lung cancer. So the primary aim was to evaluate and determine the prevalence of sexual dysfunction and patients that were self-identified as female with lung cancer globally.
