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Sexual dysfunction and fertility-related distress in young adults with cancer over 5 years following diagnosis: study protocol of the Fex-Can Cohort study
- Source :
- BMC Cancer, BMC Cancer, Vol 20, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2020)
- Publication Year :
- 2020
- Publisher :
- BioMed Central, 2020.
-
Abstract
- Background There is a lack of firm knowledge regarding sexual problems and fertility-related distress in young adults following a diagnosis with cancer. Establishing such understanding is essential to identify patients in need of specific support and to develop cancer care accordingly. This study protocol describes the Fex-Can Cohort study, a population-based prospective cohort study investigating sexual dysfunction and fertility-related distress in young adults diagnosed with cancer in Sweden. The primary objective of the study is to determine the prevalence and predictors of sexual dysfunction and fertility-related distress following a cancer diagnosis in young adulthood compared to prevalence rates for the general population. Further aims are to investigate the trajectories of these issues over time, the co-existence between sexual dysfunction and fertility-related distress, and the relation between these issues and body image, anxiety and depression, health-related quality of life, self-efficacy related to sexuality and fertility, and fertility-related knowledge. Methods Participants in the Fex-Can Cohort will be identified via the Swedish National Quality Registries for Brain Tumors, Breast Cancer, Gynecological Oncology, Lymphoma, and Testicular Cancer. All patients diagnosed at the ages of 18–39, during a period of 18 months, will be invited to participate. Established instruments will be used to measure sexual function (PROMIS SexFS), fertility-related distress (RCAC), body image (BIS), anxiety and depression (HADS), and health-related quality of life (QLQ-C30); Self-efficacy and fertility-related knowledge will be assessed by study-specific measures. The survey will be administered to participants at baseline (approximately 1.5 year after diagnosis) and at 3 and 5 years post-diagnosis. Registry data will be used to collect clinical variables. A comparison group of 2000 young adults will be drawn from the Swedish population register (SPAR) and subsequently approached with the same measures as the cancer group. Discussion The study will determine the prevalence and predictors of sexual dysfunction and fertility-related distress in young men and women with cancer. The findings will form a basis for developing interventions to alleviate sexual problems and fertility-related distress in young adults with cancer in the short and long term. Trial registration This is an observational cohort study and clinical trial registration was therefore not obtained.
- Subjects :
- 0301 basic medicine
Gerontology
Male
Cancer Research
Time Factors
Study Protocol
0302 clinical medicine
Neoplasms
Prevalence
Prospective Studies
Young adult
Prospective cohort study
Cancer
education.field_of_study
Age Factors
lcsh:Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology. Including cancer and carcinogens
Distress
Oncology
030220 oncology & carcinogenesis
Cohort
Female
medicine.symptom
Sexual Health
Cohort study
Adult
Sexual function
Population
Fertility-related distress
Reproduktionsmedicin och gynekologi
Nursing
lcsh:RC254-282
RC0254
03 medical and health sciences
Young Adult
Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine
Genetics
medicine
Humans
Patient Reported Outcome Measures
education
Sweden
Cancer och onkologi
business.industry
Omvårdnad
Health Surveys
Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological
030104 developmental biology
Sexual dysfunction
Fertility
Cancer and Oncology
Sample Size
RG
business
Young adults
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14712407
- Volume :
- 20
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- BMC Cancer
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....11229aebccf606c0dd71f37f9883b9d4