An integrative review of physiotherapeutic approaches for the treatment of dyspareunia in post-gynecological cancer patients
International Journal of Development Research
An integrative review of physiotherapeutic approaches for the treatment of dyspareunia in post-gynecological cancer patients
Received 19th December, 2018, Received in revised form 24th January, 2019, Accepted 11th February, 2019, Published online 31st March, 2019.
Copyright © 2019, Marciene de Sousa Cavalcante Costa et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Introduction: Dyspareunia is the most common sexual complaint among women after gynecological cancer treatment. The modalities commonly used for the treatment of gynecological cancer are radiotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy. The main dysfunctions experienced after the cancer treatment are dryness, decreased sexual desire, dyspareunia and vaginal stenosis, which may be associated with loss of clitoral and vaginal sensations during intercourse with penetration. Objective: The present study investigated the physiotherapeutic approaches in the treatment of dyspareunia in post-gynecological cancer patients. Materials and Methods: A bibliographic survey was carried out using the BIREME, SciELO and MEDLINE databases, focusing on relevant articles published in English and Portuguese in the last ten years. Results: A total of studies were found in the electronic search process, of which nine were included in this review: two randomized clinical trials, five systematic reviews and two bibliographic reviews. Conclusion: The present study found that physical therapy offers an important resource in speech this sexual dysfunction for the treatment of dyspareunia after gynecological cancer treatment, providing a better quality of life for affected women.
