The Secret Lives of Cancer Survivors

I just came across this Article on Breast Cancer and the impact on womens’ sense of sexual wellness. The article uses phrases like “sexual problems” and I couldn’t help feeling like the author is about 24 years old, single and has no difficulty finding a date. Judging from her FaceBook profile, I’d say I was pretty darned close. Marissa, if you happen to see this, the 45 year old you will look back on this article and scold the twenty-something you for letting your youthful sense of immortality sneak in to this article. You wrote it like you’re talking about your grandmother. Then again, maybe you were… I should grant you that room for grace, as I don’t know you.

Nonetheless, the articles on this study show a number of things:

1. 7 of 10 breast cancer survivors see a negative change in their sex lives after the cancer.
2. Changed body image means that most cancer survivors feel less appealing. (Surveys of the survivors’ partners did not corroborate this, however).
3. The post cancer drugs (Tamoxifen seems to be one among them) are huge contributors to the loss of sexual interest.
4. Chemotherapy made the sexuality issue worse at a uniform rate across all patients, regardless of surgery type, etc.
5. Treating reduced sexual desire is done through counseling.

About 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in America, and more successful treatments are creating more survivors. In the United States, there are 2.4 million breast cancer survivors, many of whom will be facing the side effects.

I’ll spare you the specific details, but it’s safe to say that this cancer survivor partnership has experienced what this study is talking about.It’s very real.

Here’s the big “however'” thought, though…

Just being aware of what this study contains, C has become much more aware that she’s not alone in this battle. She has a list of things she “hates” about herself post-cancer. Many of them can be tied back to the issues on this study – body image concerns, physical changes, wanting to go back to who she used to be and being unable to reconnect with that person…

Knowing that she’s not alone, and that other members of the sisterhood are doing the same thing? It doesn’t make it better, but it does make it no longer about her specifically.

Separate from the Australian study mentioned above, here’s another resource from oncolink.com discussing how women react to their sexuality after cancer