Evolution of sexual health of patients with head and neck cancer before, during, and 1 year after treatment.
Pradier J, Togan S, Combe C, Buiret G • Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer • 2025
Sexual interest and enjoyment in head and neck cancer patients were compromised at diagnosis, further diminished during treatments, showed partial recovery post-treatment, and subsequently declined again, with a significant association between sexual well-being and overall quality of life impairments.
Key Findings
Results
Sexual interest and enjoyment followed a trajectory of decline at diagnosis, further deterioration during treatment, partial recovery post-treatment, and subsequent decline again over the one-year follow-up period.
A cohort of 44 patients with head and neck cancer was prospectively followed from diagnosis to 1 year post-treatment.
Sexual interest and enjoyment were assessed using the EORTC QLQ30 and HN35 questionnaires.
Assessments were conducted six to eight times over the course of one year.
The pattern showed that sexual health did not return to baseline levels even after partial post-treatment recovery.
Results
A significant association was found between sexual well-being and overall quality of life impairments in head and neck cancer patients.
Quality of life evaluations were conducted alongside sexual health assessments using the EORTC QLQ30 and HN35 questionnaires.
The association was noted across the full one-year follow-up period.
Both sexual health and overall quality of life were compromised from the point of diagnosis.
The study highlighted sexual health as an integral component of overall quality of life in this patient population.
Results
Questions regarding sexuality constituted a substantial proportion of unanswered queries in the questionnaires, indicating patient discomfort with discussing sexual health.
Sexuality-related questions had notably higher non-response rates compared to other questionnaire items.
This pattern of non-response was interpreted as reflecting patient discomfort with the topic.
The finding suggests that sexual health concerns may be underreported in this patient population.
This discomfort points to a gap in patient-provider communication around sexual health topics in head and neck cancer care.
Results
Sexual health in head and neck cancer patients was already compromised at the time of diagnosis, prior to the initiation of any treatment.
Baseline assessments were conducted at diagnosis before treatment began.
Sexual interest and enjoyment were diminished even at this earliest measurement point.
This suggests that the cancer diagnosis itself, not only the treatments, contributes to sexual health impairment.
The study used prospective cohort design with assessments beginning at diagnosis.
Conclusions
The study identified a need for enhanced support strategies and a multifaceted approach to address sexual health in head and neck cancer survivors.
The authors called for improved patient-provider communication regarding sexual health.
Integration of sexual health support into comprehensive cancer care plans was recommended.
The study noted that the impact of cancer and its treatments on sexuality is 'often overlooked, particularly in head and neck cancer.'
The findings contribute to understanding the 'medium-term repercussions of head and neck cancer on sexual health.'
What This Means
This research followed 44 patients with head and neck cancer over approximately one year, from the time of their diagnosis through treatment and recovery, assessing how their sexual health changed over time. The study found that patients already experienced reduced sexual interest and enjoyment at diagnosis — before any treatment began — and that these difficulties worsened during treatment. While there was some recovery after treatment ended, sexual health declined again in the months that followed, never fully returning to pre-diagnosis levels. The study also found a meaningful link between sexual well-being and overall quality of life throughout the entire period.
One notable finding was that sexuality-related survey questions were left unanswered at much higher rates than other questions, suggesting that many patients felt uncomfortable or reluctant to discuss their sexual health even in an anonymous questionnaire format. This points to a broader challenge in cancer care: sexual health concerns may go unaddressed because patients hesitate to raise them and healthcare providers may not proactively ask.
This research suggests that sexual health should be recognized as an important part of cancer care for people with head and neck cancer, not just an afterthought. Better communication between patients and their care teams, combined with proactive support strategies built into cancer treatment plans, may help address this often-overlooked aspect of patient well-being. The findings are particularly relevant given that sexual difficulties appear to persist well beyond the end of active treatment.
Pradier J, Togan S, Combe C, Buiret G. (2025). Evolution of sexual health of patients with head and neck cancer before, during, and 1 year after treatment.. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-025-09450-5