I have spent more than 30 years of my career trying to help cancer patients prevent or overcome sexual problems
related to treatment. Although we better understand the causes of those
problems, and have a few medical options to restore firm erections,
most men still don't get accurate information when they need it.
To try to solve this situation, my research team has been working with a small business grant from the National Cancer Institute
(and our small business partner Paul Martinetti, M.D., of Digital
Science Technologies L.L.C.), to create a website that will provide
education, self-help suggestions and advice on getting the best medical
care for men's cancer-related sexual problems.
In
creating the website, we interviewed 48 men of varying ages and
ethnicities with different types of cancer. We asked them to review
drafts of the website and report their experiences.
Alarming findings
The
first, rather discouraging finding was that many men had never been
given a chance to discuss this important part of life after cancer. Some
valued the interview so much that they sent emails or called back to
personally thank Evan Odensky, the senior behavioral research
coordinator on our project.
Another common pattern was that men
didn't realize how important a sexual problem could be until they
experienced it. When they were planning their cancer treatment, 62% worried just a little or not at all that cancer treatment would damage their sex life.
Preserving
sexual function was a major factor in choosing a treatment for only
13%. At the time of the interview, however, 79% of men rated their
sexual function as moderately to very important.
Another very important issue was sexual communication. Many men felt guilty or embarrassed because their erections were not firm enough for intercourse, but told us that their wives or partners were not open to trying other types of caressing that could lead to mutual arousal.
Men who were not in a committed relationship often worried about telling a new dating partner about their history with cancer. Fearing rejection, they put off meeting new people. A few men even sought sex with prostitutes because of shame associated with their sexual function.
Participate in the study
After hearing these painful stories, we are eager to finish our website and to try it out later this year in a randomized study. Men who are getting help in our Sexual Medicine Clinic with Run Wang, M.D., in the Genitourinary Care Center will be invited to participate.
One group of men will get the usual, excellent care. Another group will also get access to our website plus phone counseling from Evan. A third group will get all of that and will try out a system in which they report every two weeks on their progress with erections, so the clinic staff can fine-tune their treatment.
As part of building the website, we are looking for men (and some partners) willing to participate in video interviews and share their stories about how cancer affected their sex lives, their feelings about manhood and sexual attractiveness, and their relationships.
We hope to interview men of a wide range of ages, ethnic backgrounds and attitudes. If you might be interested, please contact Evan Odensky by phone at 713-794-4031 or email at eodensky@mdanderson.org. Those who are videotaped will be compensated for their time and trouble.
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