Sexual Health in Cancer Patients (CCC-SHCP)

Major progress in modern oncological treatment is changing cancer from being a life-threatening into a more chronic disease. The subsequent increase in the number of cancer survivors has raised the awareness of long-term consequences and patients' quality of life.

For many patients, a satisfactory sexlife is a fundamental part for living a fulfilled life. Problems and disorders of sexual function are complex because physiological and psychological factors interact. The distress of cancer diagnosis and treatment-related side effects can negatively affect sexual function. As a consequence, problems of sexual function are frequently reported from cancer survivors.

However, within oncological care, sexual health is frequently neglected, although it has a high impact on patients' quality of life. Yet sexual health is a helpful resource for coping with the disease. The Comprehensive Cancer Center platform “Sexual Health in Cancer Patients” has the objective to evaluate the sexual health of cancer patients at the Medical University of Vienna within a scientific ramework. Both prevention and treatment of sexual dysfunctions or disorders are nvestigated in several research projects on a multi-disciplinary level.