Interventions for sexual dysfunction in women with breast cancer: a systematic review

Objective: To analyze the effectiveness of interventions performed in women with breast cancer for the improvement of sexual dysfunction. Materials and Methods: This was a systematic review of the literature following the PRISMA guidelines. Bibliographical searches were carried out in the Medline, LILACS, Ibecs, BDenf, Scopus, Web of Science and CINAHL databases. The following inclusion criteria were considered: primary study with an experimental and randomized design; recruitment of women with breast cancer; addressing the effectiveness of an intervention to improve sexual dysfunction; with a Jadad’s scale score equal to or greater than three; published in English; and with the full text available online. Nine articles were included in the final review Results: The included studies focused on interventions with educational technologies (peer counseling program, cognitive behavioral therapy, Trendils website) as well as with pharmacological methods (bupropion, water- and silicone-based lubricants, pH-balanced vaginal gel, intravaginal testosterone cream and estradiol-releasing ring). Conclusion: There is evidence to support the use of educational technologies, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and self-help groups, as effective strategies for improving sexual dysfunction in breast cancer survivors and of intravaginal testosterone cream and estradiol-releasing vaginal ring in breast cancer patients.