Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30314828›Full record

ArticlePatient education and counseling2019

Patient-clinician communication about sexual health in breast cancer: A mixed-methods analysis of clinic dialogue.

Jennifer Barsky Reese, Kristen Sorice, Stephen J Lepore, Mary B Daly, James A Tulsky, Mary Catherine Beach

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Patient education and counseling, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
28citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 11% 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

28 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 57 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Exploring Communication Dynamics Between Patients and Healthcare Providers in Oncology: A Systematic Review.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Preliminary evaluation of the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of an online sexual health educational video series for breast cancer patients.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
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  16. Investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer clinicians' communication about sexual health.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2022
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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 4 institutions in 1 country.

Jennifer Barsky ReeseCancer Prevention and Control Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, USA. Electronic address: Jennifer.Reese@fccc.edu.
Kristen SoriceCancer Prevention and Control Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, USA.
Stephen J LeporeDepartment of Social and Behavioral Sciences, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA.
Mary B DalyDepartment of Clinical Genetics, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, USA.
James A TulskyDepartment of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, USA.
Mary Catherine BeachDepartment of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
Fox Chase Cancer Center · USDana-Farber Cancer Institute · USJohns Hopkins University · USTemple University · US

Funding

WORD PROCESSING CENTER--COREP30CA006927 · NCI · RESEARCH INST OF FOX CHASE CAN CTR · PI Dietmar J Kappes · 1985 to 2026
$138.8M
Communication Quality and Patient Outcomes in HIV/AIDS and Substance AbuseK24DA037804 · NIDA · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI BEACH, MARY CATHERINE · 2015 to 2019
$923k
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA006927NIDA NIH HHS K24 DA037804
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesBreast cancer patients' sexual health needs are frequently unmet. We examined the prevalence and content of communication about sexual health between breast cancer patients and clinicians.

methodsFemale breast cancer patients being seen in oncology clinic follow-up had a clinic visit audio recorded and self-reported sexual problems after the visit. Transcripts were coded for sexual health communication; data were analyzed descriptively or using Chi-square tests.

resultsWe recorded 67 patients (81% participation rate) interacting with one of 7 cancer clinicians (5 physicians; 2 advanced practice clinicians). Approximately 1/3 of women (n = 22) reported sexual problems; sexual health communication occurred with 10/22 of those women (45%). Across all 67 patients, 27 (40%) visits contained communication about sexual health. Seventy-percent of sexual health communication was clinician-initiated. When in-depth sexual health discussions occurred, the most common topics discussed were sexual inactivity (6), body image (5), vaginal dryness (4), and safety of sexual activity (2).

conclusionCommunication about sexual health was uncommon even for women reporting sexual problems and was largely initiated by clinicians. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Because women with breast cancer often do not raise sexual concerns during clinic visits, breast cancer clinicians should raise the topic of sexual health for all patients.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsCoitusCommunicationPhysician-Patient RelationsQuality of LifeSexual BehaviorSexual Dysfunction, PhysiologicalSexual HealthSurvivorsAdultAgedFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMastectomyMiddle AgedBreast cancerDialogue analysisPatient-provider communicationSexual health

Identifiers

PMID30314828
PMCPMC6421101
OpenAlexW2895576061

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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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.