Abstract

PIP: Until the Kinsey report there had been very little published concerning sexual activity in the aging woman. Since then other authors have stated that chronic illness or lack of a sexual partner rather than age have placed limitations on their sexual activity. This study reports the effect of different modes of therapy for invasive carcinoma of the cervix on subsequent sexual function, and also tries to establish a correlation with the type of changes of the vaginal anatomy. Radiotherapy alone had been performed on 28 patients, surgery alone on 32, and combined treatment on 15. All were clinically free of cancer for 1 year after treatment was completed. The youngest was aged 23 and the oldest 68. Of the 28 patients treated with radiotherapy alone 22 had developed shortening or narrowing of the vagina sufficient to interfere markedly with sexual function. Only 2 of the 32 surgically treated patients had such a sexual interference. With combined treatment 60% showed some vaginal alterations and 33% sexual dysfunction. Questioning of patients revealed the importance of sexual function in the lives of middle-aged women. Therefore preference is expressed for radical surgery in the treatment of early carcinoma of the cervix because this mode of therapy interfers minimally with the sexual function.