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Review
. 2022 Oct 27;19(21):13976.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph192113976.

Sexual Function in Women with Breast Cancer: An Evidence Map of Observational Studies

Nelson Rodrigues-Machado  1   2 , M Jesús Quintana  1   3   4   5   6 , Raquel Gómez-Gómez  2 , Xavier Bonfill-Cosp  1   3   4   5   6
Affiliations
Review

Sexual Function in Women with Breast Cancer: An Evidence Map of Observational Studies

Nelson Rodrigues-Machado et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of cancer in women, and has implications for sexual function (SF). In this study, we used an evidence map to identify, describe, and organise the current available evidence regarding SF in women with BC. We searched the MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases for observational studies assessing SF in women with BC published in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French between 2000 and 2021 (sample ≥ 50 women). Of the 64 included studies (13,257 women with BC), 58 were published since 2010. Women who were married, partnered, or in relationships represented 74.1% of the entire sample. Only a single study was conducted on women representing a sexual minority. We identified 22 assessment instruments and 40 sexual dysfunction (SdF) domains. The number of publications on SF in women with BC has increased in the last 10 years, but still remains low. Some groups of women are underrepresented, and some SdF domains are underdiagnosed, with the assessment instrument used affecting which domains are studied. Women with BC need to be better screened, as their quality of life (QoL) is affected by SdF.

Keywords: breast cancer; breast neoplasms; cancer; evidence map; oncology; psychosexual disorders; quality of life; sexual dysfunction; sexual function; women.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis flow diagram of study selection process.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of articles by year.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Distribution of articles by country.
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