Session Item

Clinical track: Lower GI (colon, rectum, anus)
9306
Poster
Clinical
00:00 - 00:00
Quality of life and sexual function of men who have sex with other men treated for anal cancer
PO-1091

Abstract

Quality of life and sexual function of men who have sex with other men treated for anal cancer
Authors: MAURO|, Geovanne Pedro(1)*[geovanne95@gmail.com];Vasconcelos|, Karina Gondim Moutinho da Conceição (2);Carvalho|, Heloisa de Andrade(1);
(1)University of Sao Paulo, Radiology and Oncology, Sao Paulo, Brazil;(2)Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo - ICESP, Radiotherapy, Sao Paulo, Brazil;
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Purpose or Objective

To assess quality of life (QoL) and sexual function (SxF) among men who have sex with other men (MSM) treated with radical chemorradiation for anal cancer.

Material and Methods

Prospective cohort of MSM who were treated for anal cancer in a single institution. For inclusion, patients had to be treated with concurrent chemoradiation (IMRT technique) with curative intent as by the ACTII randomized trial guideline. QoL and SxF were assessed by the questionnaires QLQ-C30, IIEF, and SF-36. The questionnaires were applied at diagnosis, after the end of the treatment, and 3, 6 and 12 months later on. Local control, systemic progression, colostomy-free, and overall survivals were measured from the date of diagnosis. Informed consent was obtained for inclusion.

Results

Patients were accrued between November 2015 and May 2019. Forty men were selected and 19, that accepted to participate in the study, were included. The most frequent causes of exclusion from the study were patient not MSM (11) and patients who were submitted to surgery or were not going to receive chemotherapy (5). Median age of the included patients was 59.3 years. The majority had advanced disease (14/73.7%) with a mean tumor size of 5.4 cm. Fifteen (78.9%) were HIV positive. The sexual inventory showed that most were homosexual cis-males (17/89.4%), single (11/57.9%), and monogamous (14/73.7%). No sexual intercourse over the month prior to treatment was stated by 12 patients (63.2%), and no pain during intercourse in the previous six months was reported by 13 (68.4%). Median follow-up was 19.8 months. Mean overall survival, systemic progression free survival, survival free of local relapse and colostomy-free survival were, respectively, 20.8, 19.8, 17.2 and 17.4 months. No median value was reached. Results of QLQ-C30 and SF-36 showed that QoL significantly worsened by the end of treatment and raised to maximum value by three months after treatment, followed by a continuous fall until the levels pre-treatment were reached again by 12 months after treatment. IIEF questionnaire showed that patients started treatment with moderate erectile dysfunction and reached normal level at 3 months after treatment, only to reach pre-treatment levels again by the end of first year after treatment. Intercourse frequency followed QoL measures, reaching a peak at 3 months and returning to pre-treatment levels by the end of first year of follow-up.

Conclusion

In a MSM population with anal canal cancer, QoL and SxF followed the same pattern up to one year after treatment. Most patients had their SxF compromised as shown by IIEF levels and intercourse frequency. Anal cancer and its’ treatment represent a burden to MSM regarding QoL and SxF.