Sexual dysfunction in lymphoma survivors: a scoping review

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Sexual Health
• Survivorship Care

Background:

• Cancer treatments, including those for lymphoma, can lead to significant complications.
• Sexual dysfunction is a common and persistent issue for lymphoma survivors throughout their survivorship journey.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of existing literature on sexual dysfunction in lymphoma survivors.
• To identify current knowledge, research gaps, and implications for future studies and clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO.
• Arksey and O'Malley's framework and the PRISMA-S extension checklist guided the review of 30 English-language articles published between 1979 and 2023.
• Quality assessment used the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies.

Main Results:

• Sexual dysfunction is a prevalent concern among lymphoma survivors, impacting their quality of life.
• Key predictors identified include age, gender, hormonal status, disease stage, and specific cancer treatments.
• Over half of the reviewed studies (53.33%) had a quality ranking of C, indicating methodological limitations.

Conclusions:

• Consistent routine assessment of sexual function by healthcare providers is crucial for lymphoma survivors.
• Tailored psychosexual interventions and comprehensive sexual health education for oncologists are essential components of survivorship care.
• Despite extensive research, significant knowledge gaps persist regarding sexual health in this population, necessitating further longitudinal studies.