Physiotherapy in Main Sexual Dysfunctions After the Treatment of Cervical Cancer: Bibliographic Review

Abstract

An important problem for the public health system is the considerable number of cases of cervical cancer. The treatment of this neoplasm may cause cervical-vaginal and sexual behavior changes. Thus, the objective of this study was to identify the main sexual dysfunctions that may arise after the treatment of cervical cancer and to verify the physiotherapy interventions for them, through a narrative bibliographic review. Scientific articles in English, Portuguese and Spanish were found in the SciELO, PubMed, Lilacs and Cochrane databases, from 2000 to 2010. In the crosscheck of the key words, 109 articles were found; 17 of which were selected for meeting the inclusion criteria. Seven were excluded according to the exclusion criteria, leaving ten articles included. The main sexual dysfunctions resulting from the treatment of cervical cancer identified were: hypoactive desire, anorgasmia, decreased arousal, dyspareunia and vaginismus; and the complications: stenosis and vaginal atrophy, decreased lubrication and sensitivity. The resources most often mentioned were the use of vaginal dilators and digital pressure for the treatment of vaginal stenosis; and functional electrical stimulation, kinesiotherapy of the pelvic floor muscles and manual therapy for anorgasmia, vaginismus and dyspareunia. Therefore, the use of physiotherapy for sexual dysfunctions is an important resource and brings positive results. Nevertheless, more studies are needed so as to demonstrate the benefits of the application of physiotherapy directly in patients with sexual dysfunctions caused by cervical cancer.