2Department of General Surgery, Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Faculty of Medicine, Zonguldak-Turkey DOI : 10.5505/tjo.2019.2135 OBJECTIVE
This study aims to compare the female sexual function in breast cancer patients, who have been administered breast-conserving surgery to the patients having undergone modified radical mastectomy.
METHODS
Forty-four breast-conserving surgery and 27 modified radical mastectomy patients were included in
this study. All patients completed chemotherapy and radiation therapy after surgery. Modified radical
mastectomy patients, who received breast reconstruction surgery afterwards, patients whom experienced
local recurrence or distant organ metastases or patients over 50 years of age were excluded from
this study. Each patient"s sexual function was evaluated using the Female Sexual Function Index, six
months after the completion of their treatment.
RESULTS
Between breast-conserving surgery and modified radical mastectomy groups, no significant difference
of age, height, weight, and body mass index was observed. Although mean sexual desire (4,13 vs 3,97),
arousal (3,72 vs 3,16), lubrication (3,76 vs 3,44), orgasm (3,90 vs 3,38), satisfaction (3,07 vs 2,50), pain
(4,07 vs 3,82) and total scores (22,65 vs 20,27) were all higher in patients with breast-conserving surgery,
only arousal, orgasm and total scores were significantly higher (p: 0,025, p:0,017 and p: 0,017, respectively).
CONCLUSION
In the treatment of breast cancer, the conservation of patients" sexual function is an important issue. Our
study demonstrates higher female sexual function in breast-conserving surgery patients, highlighting
the statistical difference of the arousal, orgasm and total scores of the Female Sexual Function Index,
comparing with modified radical mastectomy patients.