TY - JOUR
T1 - Sexual concerns in lung cancer patients
T2 - An examination of predictors and moderating effects of age and gender
AU - Reese, Jennifer Barsky
AU - Shelby, Rebecca A.
AU - Abernethy, Amy P.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments This study is a sub-analysis of data collected within a larger study funded by Kanglaite USA, Inc. The writing of this manuscript was partially supported by American Cancer Society postdoctoral fellowship PF-09-154-01-CPPB awarded to Jennifer Barsky Reese, PhD. The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.
PY - 2011/1
Y1 - 2011/1
N2 - Purpose: Sexual concerns are understudied and undertreated for patients with lung cancer. Objectives were to: (1) assess sexual concerns in lung cancer patients and examine differences by age and gender; (2) examine stability of sexual concerns over time; and (3) evaluate whether sexual concerns in lung cancer patients are significantly related to physical and emotional symptoms. Materials and methods: Data were collected from lung cancer patients during four outpatient clinic visits over 6 months. Measures included sexual concerns (reduced sexual enjoyment, interest, or performance), fatigue (FACIT Fatigue Scale), shortness of breath, and emotional distress (acute distress, despair; Patient Care Monitor). Linear mixed model analyses were conducted. Results: Sexual concerns were common, with 52% of patients reporting at least mild sexual concerns and were stable. Sexual concerns were significantly associated with physical and emotional symptoms; particularly strong relationships were found between sexual concerns and shortness of breath and emotional distress. Age moderated the relationship between both fatigue and shortness of breath and sexual concerns; gender moderated the relationship between emotional distress and sexual concerns. Conclusions: Self-reported sexual concerns are common in people with lung cancer, are stable, and are related significantly to physical and emotional symptoms; age and gender influence the distress associated with sexual symptoms in this population. Better attention to patient concerns, treatment, and more research are clearly needed.
AB - Purpose: Sexual concerns are understudied and undertreated for patients with lung cancer. Objectives were to: (1) assess sexual concerns in lung cancer patients and examine differences by age and gender; (2) examine stability of sexual concerns over time; and (3) evaluate whether sexual concerns in lung cancer patients are significantly related to physical and emotional symptoms. Materials and methods: Data were collected from lung cancer patients during four outpatient clinic visits over 6 months. Measures included sexual concerns (reduced sexual enjoyment, interest, or performance), fatigue (FACIT Fatigue Scale), shortness of breath, and emotional distress (acute distress, despair; Patient Care Monitor). Linear mixed model analyses were conducted. Results: Sexual concerns were common, with 52% of patients reporting at least mild sexual concerns and were stable. Sexual concerns were significantly associated with physical and emotional symptoms; particularly strong relationships were found between sexual concerns and shortness of breath and emotional distress. Age moderated the relationship between both fatigue and shortness of breath and sexual concerns; gender moderated the relationship between emotional distress and sexual concerns. Conclusions: Self-reported sexual concerns are common in people with lung cancer, are stable, and are related significantly to physical and emotional symptoms; age and gender influence the distress associated with sexual symptoms in this population. Better attention to patient concerns, treatment, and more research are clearly needed.
KW - Lung cancer
KW - Physiological
KW - Quality of life
KW - Sexual dysfunction
KW - Sexuality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=78651473762&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=78651473762&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00520-010-1000-0
DO - 10.1007/s00520-010-1000-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 20820818
AN - SCOPUS:78651473762
SN - 0941-4355
VL - 19
SP - 161
EP - 165
JO - Supportive Care in Cancer
JF - Supportive Care in Cancer
IS - 1
ER -