Treatments for invasive carcinoma of the cervix: What are their impacts on the pelvic floor functions?

• Autor(a) principal: de Noronha, Alessandra Ferreira [UNESP]
• Data de Publicação: 2013
• Outros Autores: de Figueiredo, Elyonara Mello, de Figueiredo Franco, Telma Maria Rossi, Cândido, Eduardo Batista, Silva-Filho, Agnaldo L. [UNESP]
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNESP
• Texto Completo: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S1677-55382013000100046&script=sci_arttext; http://hdl.handle.net/11449/74329
• topic: Chemoradiotherapy; Hysterectomy; Pelvic Floor; Radiation; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Aims: Describe the impact of surgery, radiotherapy and chemoradiation in the pelvic floor functions in cervical cancer patients. Materials and Methods: A prospective study with women submitted to radical hysterectomy (RH) (n = 20),exclusive radiotherapy (RT) (n= 20)or chemoradiation (CT/RT)(n = 20)for invasive cervical cancer. Urinary, intestinal and sexual function, as well as vaginal length and pelvic floor musclecontraction were evaluated. Comparisons between groups were performed by Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-square tests (p < 0.05). Results: The groups were similar in stress urinary incontinence incidence (p = 0.56), urinary urgency (p = 0.44),urge incontinence (p = 0.54),nocturia(p = 0.53), incomplete bowel emptying (p = 0.76),bowel urgency(p = 0.12)and soilage(p = 0.43). The CT/ RT group presented a higher urinary frequency(p < 0.001)and diarrhea(p = 0.025). Patients in the RH group were more sexually active(p = 0.01) and experienced less dyspareunia (p = 0.021). Vaginal length was shorter in RT group (5.5 ± 1.9 cm) and CT/ RT(.3 ± 1.5 cm) than in the RH group (7.4 ± 1.1 cm) (p < 0.001). Pelvic floor muscle contraction was similar (p = 0.302). Conclusions: RT and CT/RT treatment for cervical carcinoma are more associated to sexual and intestinal dysfunctions.