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Incidence and severity of sexual dysfunction among women with breast cancer: a meta-analysis based on female sexual function index

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Abstract

Purpose

Previous meta-analyses have examined the prevalence of sexual dysfunction among women with cancer, but there is no breast cancer (BC)-specific study. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis to examine the prevalence and severity of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in women with BC.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, WanFang Data, and VIP for relevant studies published between April 2000 and January 2017. Data were extracted from studies which assessed FSD prevalence and sexual function in women with BC using the female sexual function index (FSFI). Meta-analyses were performed by pooling the prevalence rates of FSD and total FSFI scores. Meta regression was performed to explore the sources of heterogeneity.

Results

We selected 19 published studies involving a total of 2684 women with BC. In this study population, overall FSD prevalence was 73.4% (95% confidence interval (CI) 64.0%, 82.8%), and the total FSFI score was 19.28 (95% CI 17.39, 21.16). Among Asian, American, and European women with BC, there were significant differences in FSD prevalence (P < 0.001), and there was marginally significant difference (P = 0.07) in sexual function between these groups. There was also a marginally significant difference between individuals from mainland China and from other countries in FSD prevalence (P = 0.06) and FSFI score (P = 0.07).

Conclusions

Overall, women with BC have high FSD prevalence and low sexual function. American women with BC have a higher average FSD prevalence and lower average sexual function than Asian women with BC. The FSD prevalence in women with BC in mainland China was slightly higher than in other countries.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Guangxiao Li, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Evidence-based Medicine of China Medical University, for his kindly help.

Funding

This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81803106), Ph.D. Foundation of North China University of Science and Technology (No. BS2017057).

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Author notes

  1. Liwei Jing and Chao Zhang contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Academy of Development and Strategy, Renmin University of China, No. 59 Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing, 100872, China

    Liwei Jing

  2. College of Nursing and Rehabilitation, North China University of Science and Technology, No.21 Bohai Road, Caofeidian District, Tangshan, 063210, Hebei, China

    Liwei Jing

  3. Affiliated Hospital of North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, 063210, Hebei, China

    Chao Zhang

  4. Radiotherapy Department, Tangshan People’s Hospital, No.65 Shengli Road, Lunan District, Tangshan, 063001, Hebei, China

    Wei Li

  5. Breast Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Heping District, Nanjing street, No. 155, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China

    Feng Jin

  6. Department of Nursing, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Heping District, Nanjing street, No. 155, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China

    Aiping Wang

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  1. Liwei Jing
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Correspondence to Aiping Wang.

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Jing, L., Zhang, C., Li, W. et al. Incidence and severity of sexual dysfunction among women with breast cancer: a meta-analysis based on female sexual function index. Support Care Cancer 27, 1171–1180 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-04667-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-04667-7

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