Sexual satisfaction and quality of life in cured testicular cancer

Objective: The testicular cancer affecting young male has good Prognosis, so led to increasing number of cancer survivors. Thus, the aim of this study is to assess level of depression and anxiety symptoms, quality of life, sexual function in cured stage I seminoma patients and to compare them with healthy controls. Methods: The sample consists of 15 cured testicular cancer patients of whom followed in Radiation Oncology Department in Karadeniz Technical University, Medical School Hospital. All patients are stage I seminoma with unilateral orchiectomy. The patient group was compared in means of sociodemographic data and clinical assessment measures including BAS, BDS, GRISS, EORTC QLO-C30 version 3.0 with the control group matched in age, level of educational, marital status and occupation. The study was designed as case control study. Results: The patients (n=15) with average remission length of 25 +/- 19.5 months who completed radiotherapy and surgical therapy with respect to same protocol for stage I testicular cancer were compared with control group matched in age, level of educational, marital status and occupation. In clinical assessment no statistical difference in sexual function, life quality, depression and anxiety level was found between study sample and control group. Discussion: Stage I cured seminoma patients do not experience psychosocial problems. Indifference in quality of life, sexuality might be attributed to sample consisting of solely stage I cured seminoma patients and smallness of the sample. These results may be a prediction for forthcoming studies. (Anatolian Journal of Psychiatry 2009; 10:233-238)