Psychological distress, sexual satisfaction and quality of life of gynaecological cancer patients and their spouses during cancer survivorship: A comparison of husbands and wives

Abstract

Aims and Objectives

To investigate the psychological distress, sexual satisfaction, and quality of life of gynaecological cancer survivors and their spouses during cancer survivorship.

Background

The survival rate of patients with cancer is increasing owing to advances in medical treatment technology. Spouses are the closest companions of gynaecological cancer survivors. Patients with gynaecological cancer and their spouses face different situations and challenges after experiencing cancer invasion.

Design

Questionnaire-based cross-sectional study.

Methods

Convenience sampling was employed, and 180 participants, including patients with gynaecological cancer and their spouses, were enrolled. A structured questionnaire was used to investigate the psychological distress, sexual satisfaction, and quality of life of gynaecological cancer survivors and their spouses during acute, extended, and permanent survivorship. The STROBE checklist guided the study preparation.

Results

For gynaecological cancer survivors and their spouses, (1) severe psychological distress was present during acute survivorship, with anxiety extending until permanent survivorship; (2) no significant differences were observed in pre- and post-treatment sexual satisfaction, although pre-treatment sexual satisfaction was higher than post-treatment sexual satisfaction in all three cancer survivorship stages and (3) quality of life decreased during acute survivorship and gradually improved with time.

Conclusions

Psychological distress, sexual satisfaction and quality of life of gynaecological cancer survivors and their spouses worsened during acute survivorship and improved over time until permanent survivorship.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

Gynaecological cancer survivors and their spouses experience anxiety and depression from diagnosis confirmation until permanent survivorship (>5 years survival). Therefore, clinical nurses' sensitivity to emotional distress in cancer survivors and their spouses can be improved and a consistent and routine evaluation method has been established for the early detection of such emotional distress. The results of this study can provide a reference for clinical healthcare professionals and contribute to a better quality of care.