Impact of tumor surgery on sexual function

In the current issue of Deutsches -rzteblatt International, a research team describes the consequences for quality of life after operations for carcinoma of the rectum. 

Men complained increasingly of sexual dysfunction over time and the effects were more marked than in women. The probability of loss of function increased with the size of the wound. Radiation and chemotherapy did not have any unfavorable effect on the sex lives of the patients in this study. In spite of the clear results, the authors emphasize that sexual function was not recorded preoperatively, to avoid unsettling the patients.