Imagem corporal, função e satisfação sexual em mulheres com câncer de mama

Abstract

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death among women in Brazil. Previous studies have shown that women who are less satisfied with their body image after a breast cancer diagnosis are more likely to experience sexual issues. The present study is justified by the need for preventive and multidisciplinary interventions to minimize the impact of the disease and its treatment on body image and sexuality. The objective is to investigate the association of sociodemographic, clinical, and anthropometric factors with body image, sexual function, and sexual satisfaction in women diagnosed with breast cancer. This is a cross-sectional study involving 101 women diagnosed with breast cancer between 2014 and 2016, treated at an oncology referral center in the Zona da Mata region of Minas Gerais. Data collection was done through medical records and face-to-face interviews. For the analysis of body image, sexual function, and sexual satisfaction, the EORTC QLQ-BR23 questionnaire, developed and validated by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-specific Quality of Life Breast Cancer Group (EORTC), was used. The statistical analyses conducted included descriptive analysis to understand the distribution and prevalence of variables, followed by bivariate and multivariate analysis using Poisson regression to assess existing associations. For the dependent variables, means and medians were calculated, and Spearman correlation was used to explore potential associations. Among the 101 women, the majority (70.3%) were over 50 years of age. Mean scores for both sexual function (31.49) and sexual satisfaction (50.50) were low, while body image perception (82.87) was high. Marital status was associated with sexual function in women with breast cancer, with worse sexual function observed among women without a partner (p=0.031) and better sexual function among those with a higher level of education (p=0.04). Significant relationships were found between certain sociodemographic factors and sexuality in women undergoing breast cancer treatment. The findings underscore the importance of appropriate guidance by healthcare professionals to address sexuality-related issues in this context.