Hormone Therapy in the Treatment of Breast Cancer and Main Outcomes in Sexuality

    January 2023 in “ Mastology ”
    Eduarda Trevisan Cerigatto, Carla Leal Moreira, Diancarlos Pereira de Andrade, Priscila Nunes Silva Morosini, Alexandra Ingrid dos Santos Czepula
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    TLDR Hormone therapy for breast cancer often leads to sexual issues like vaginal dryness and decreased libido.
    This integrative literature review aimed to document the main outcomes in sexuality in women after treatment for hormone-positive breast cancer. The review included 26 articles, with 7 meeting the criteria for the final sample, involving a total of 3,850 women. The studies were selected from databases such as PubMed, BVS, SCOPUS, and SCIELO, and focused on articles published in the last 5 years (2017-2022) in Portuguese or English. The review found that the main sexual dysfunctions experienced by women undergoing hormone therapy for breast cancer included dyspareunia, hot flashes, decreased libido, vaginal dryness, breast tenderness, self-image concerns, and hair loss, with vaginal dryness being the most prevalent issue, mentioned in 71.4% of the articles. The review highlights the need for more research on the adverse effects of hormone therapy on sexual health and emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to improve the quality of life for these patients.
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