REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Prostate cancer is one type cancer which is dangerous. Currently there are various types of treatment that can be done by patients with prostate cancer. However, many sources state treatment prostate cancer can affect sexual dysfunction, is it true?
Senior consultant and medical oncologist at Parkway Cancer Center (PCC) Singapore dr Wong Siew Wei said prostate cancer treatment can affect male sexual function. Among them decreased libido (sex drive), erectile dysfunction, difficulty reaching orgasm, and ejaculation problems.
“Sexual dysfunction is often a rarely reported side effect of prostate cancer treatment, the fifth most common cancer in Indonesian men,” said Dr. Wong, Thursday (27/7/2023).
Localized prostate cancer is usually treated with surgery or radiotherapy. However, surgery and radiotherapy carry a number of risks that damage the small bundles of nerves that control erections on both sides of the prostate. Later, this can affect erectile function for some men after treatment.
There are several factors to maintaining erectile function after treatment such as age, sexual function before treatment, and whether a neuropreservation approach can be used. Wong said patients with very large tumors had less chance of preserving the erectile nerve.
“Whereas younger patients have a higher chance of achieving an erection after surgery, but it can take several months to two years after surgery for spontaneous erections,” he said.
For patients who are at high risk of cancer recurrence and the cancer has spread beyond the prostate, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the mainstay of treatment. Unfortunately, long-term use of ADT will result in decreased testosterone levels which can lead to decreased sexual desire and erectile dysfunction.
Other prostate cancer treatments, for example with surgery and radiotherapy usually cause infertility. However, because prostate cancer generally affects men aged 60 and over, many patients at this age are not as concerned with fertility after treatment.
This is a problem for patients who wish to have children after receiving a diagnosis of prostate cancer. In this condition, sperm banking can be explored as a way to maintain fertility before undergoing treatment.
“It is important to understand that although patients may become infertile after treatment, some patients are still able to achieve erections and maintain sexual function,” he said.
Decreased testosterone levels and loss of libido due to ADT treatment may be a major cause for concern for some couples. In such cases, couples counseling may be considered if it causes severe stress in the partner’s sexual relationship.
2023-07-28 08:31:04
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