Communication about the psychosexual consequences of breast cancer
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Patient and professional communication about the psychosexual consequences of breast cancer and its treatment.
IRAS ID
202470
Contact name
Stephanie Mace
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 7 months, 30 days
Research summary
This study will examine patient and professional communication about the psychosexual consequences of breast cancer (BC) and its treatment. A woman’s psychosexual health encompasses the state of her mental, emotional and physical wellbeing in relation to her sexuality - it relates to the way she views her body, her ability to engage intimately with others, and her overall gender identity and sexual sense of self. BC and its treatment can impact upon a woman’s psychosexual health: surgery can result in the loss of one/both breasts, scarring and disfigurement, chemotherapy can result in hair loss, nausea and fatigue, hormone treatment can induce menopausal symptoms including the loss of libido, vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse, and radiotherapy can cause burning and irritation of the skin. Treatment can therefore affect a woman’s body image perception, her confidence in relating to others socially and intimately, and her sense of self as a woman, as the identity she once knew is confronted by change and uncertainty. If left unaddressed, the consequences of treatment can extend beyond primary care and into survivorship stages of the disease, therefore impacting upon the patient’s long-term quality of life.
Effective patient-centred communication positively influences health outcomes, yet communication is cited as the aspect of cancer care most in need of improvement, with specific barriers to addressing psychosexual matters identified in BC care. Accordingly, this study seeks to better understand the nature of communication in this setting; to understand what works well and less well in gauging both patient and professional experiences of BC consultation sessions, together with providing an analysis of the communication encounter itself.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/NW/0112
Date of REC Opinion
24 Mar 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion