Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the major but underreported concerns in cancer patients and survivors. It can lead to depression, lack of intimacy between the couple, and impaired quality of life. The causes of erectile dysfunction are psychological distress and endocrinal dysfunction caused by cancer itself or side effect of anticancer treatment like surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and hormonal therapy. The degree of ED depends on age, pre-cancer or pre-treatment potency level, comorbidities, type of cancer and its treatment. Treatment options available for ED are various pharmacotherapies, mechanical devices, penile implants, or reconstructive surgeries. A complete evaluation of sexual functioning should be done prior to starting anticancer therapy. Management should be individualized and couple counseling should be an integral part of the anticancer treatment.
Radiation oncology journal. 2020 Aug 26 [Epub ahead of print]
Renu Madan, Chinna Babu Dracham, Divya Khosla, Shikha Goyal, Arun Kumar Yadav
Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India., Department of Radiation Oncology, Queen's NRI Hospital, Visakhapatnam, India.