Development of a sexual dysfunction questionnaire for cancer patients
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Development of a sexual dysfunction questionnaire for cancer patients
IRAS ID
186829
Contact name
Julie Hoole
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 1 days
Research summary
There is currently no suitably validated intimacy tool in head and neck cancer. The aim of this work is to develop an intimacy tool specific to head and neck cancer. Head and neck cancer has increased by 30% in young people 20-40 year olds, due to HPV virus. Treatment can be curative but the long term and permanent side effects, no saliva, very limited ability to open your mouth, not even able to put fork in one’s mouth, limited tongue movement if any. If patients have surgery it could mean losing half their tongue, jaw, and reconstruction but no movement of the oral organs. Patients after treatment are having Quality of life issues in finding intimacy with their partners, when they can’t move their lips of tongue to ever kiss again, to be able to use mouth in sexual touch an issue and concern.Health professionals have expressed, having no tool to guide them or for patients to use the tool to help express their problems would be helpful. The tool would hope to help patients identify their problems and support referral to teams that can help and offer advice of how to adapt and help with patients concerns.
The research will involve head and neck patients in a focus to group to develop the tool. After a tool has been developed, the researchers would consent 200 patients over a 3 months period to complete the questionnaire/tool and validate the reliability and effectiveness of the tool. Adult, head and neck patients will be approached on completion of all their treatment. Patients will only be approached by 3 researchers in this work and in their clinical setting, Huddersfield royal infirmary and Leeds Teaching Hospital.REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/WM/0367
Date of REC Opinion
2 Nov 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion