Research progress on sexual functioning and associated factors in childhood cancer survivors: a scoping review

Abstract

Background Childhood Cancer Survivors (CCSs) are more likely to report sexual dysfunction than people without cancer history. Sexual functioning encompasses more than just sexual dysfunction. The scarcity of information regarding the status and in fl uencing factors of sexual functioning in CCSs, hampers to devise suitable screening or interventions. This review aims to summarize research progress on sexual functioning and associated factors among CCSs. Methods This review protocol is registered in PROSPERO(CRD42023427939) and performed according to PRISMA guidelines. From inception to November 15, 2023, a comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, SCOPUS, PsycINFO, CNKI Database, Wanfang of Chinese Database, SinoMed Database and Cochrane Library on sexual functioning and childhood cancer survivors. Inclusion criteria were English or Chinese studies focusing on sexual functioning and related factors of cancer survivors, who diagnosed with cancer before 18 years old, and were adult and disease-free when participating in the study. Studies were excluded if the focus was on adult cancer patients or without age information. Findings 395 records were retrieved, and 22 studies were fi nally included in this review. Results suggest that CCSs experience a substantial burden of sexual issues, including delayed psychosexual development, low satisfaction, and high prevalence of dysfunction. Underlying factors related to sexual functioning of CCSs were identi fi ed, including demographic, cancer treatment-related, psychological, and physiological factors. The historical change in research on sexual functioning was summarized. Interpretation Research on sexual functioning among CCSs is limited. The extent to which cancer and related treatments affect sexual functioning remains largely unknown. The relationships between various factors and mechanisms underlying sexual functioning need to be con fi rmed by more rigorous studies to enable effective interventions to be developed. Funding None. Copyright (c) 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).