Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26217165›Full record

ArticleEJC supplements : EJC : official journal of EORTC, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer ... [et al.]2014

Sexual dysfunction and infertility as late effects of cancer treatment.

Leslie R Schover, Marleen van der Kaaij, Eleonora van Dorst, Carien Creutzberg, Eric Huyghe, Cecilie E Kiserud

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in EJC supplements : EJC : official journal of EORTC, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer ... [et al.], 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 82 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
82citing papers in PubMed, 10 pooled it
14.5field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

82 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 228 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Sexual dysfunction outcomes and reporting disparities after multimodal treatment for rectal cancer: A systematic review and narrative synthesis.Colorectal disease : the official journal of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Mindfulness-based interventions for addressing sexual function after cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Feasibility and effectiveness of communication tools for addressing intimacy and sexuality in patients with cancer: a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024
    Pooled it
  6. Prevalence of erectile dysfunction in male survivors of cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2021
    Pooled it
  7. Pooled it
  8. Quality of life in "chronic" cancer survivors: a meta-analysis.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2020
    Pooled it
  9. Pooled it
  10. Pooled it
  11. Trial
  12. Article
  13. Sexual Dysfunction after Colorectal Surgery.Clinics in colon and rectal surgery · 2026
    Review
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  16. Review
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article

22 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 6 institutions in 4 countries.

Leslie R SchoverDepartment of Behavioral Science, Unit 1330, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, PO Box 301439, Houston, TX 77230-1439, USA.
Marleen van der KaaijDepartment of Internal Medicine, ZH 4A 35, VU University Medical Centre, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Eleonora van DorstDepartment of Reproductive Medicine and Gynaecological Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Carien CreutzbergDepartment of Clinical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, K1-P, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands.
Eric HuygheService d'Urologie et d'Andrologie, Hopital Rangueil, 1, avenue Jean Poulhes, TSA 50032, 31059 Toulouse Cedex 9, France.
Cecilie E KiserudNational Advisory Unit on Late Effects after Cancer Treatment, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc · NLHôpital Rangueil · FRLeiden University Medical Center · NLOslo University Hospital · NOThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center · USUtrecht University · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Sexual dysfunction is a common consequence of cancer treatment, affecting at least half of men and women treated for pelvic malignancies and over a quarter of people with other types of cancer. Problems are usually linked to damage to nerves, blood vessels, and hormones that underlie normal sexual function. Sexual dysfunction also may be associated with depression, anxiety, relationship conflict, and loss of self-esteem. Innovations in cancer treatment such as robotic surgery or more targeted radiation therapy have not had the anticipated result of reducing sexual dysfunction. Some new and effective cancer treatments, including aromatase inhibitors for breast cancer or chemoradiation for anal cancer also have very severe sexual morbidity. Cancer-related infertility is an issue for younger patients, who comprise a much smaller percentage of total cancer survivors. However, the long-term emotional impact of being unable to have a child after cancer can be extremely distressing. Advances in knowledge about how cancer treatments may damage fertility, as well as newer techniques to preserve fertility, offer hope to patients who have not completed their childbearing at cancer diagnosis. Unfortunately, surveys in industrialised nations confirm that many cancer patients are still not informed about potential changes to their sexual function or fertility, and all modalities of fertility preservation remain underutilised. After cancer treatment, many patients continue to have unmet needs for information about restoring sexual function or becoming a parent. Although more research is needed on optimal clinical practice, current studies suggest a multidisciplinary approach, including both medical and psychosocial treatment options.

Indexed as

Fertility preservationLate effectsOncofertilityOncologySexual dysfunctionSexuality

Identifiers

PMID26217165
PMCPMC4250536
OpenAlexW1992640784

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.