Testis Cancer Is the Sexual Function Compromised in Long-Term Testicular Cancer Survivors? Alv A. Dahla, , , Roy Bremnesb, Olav Dahlc, Olbjørn Kleppd, Erik Wiste and Sophie D. Fossåa aThe Cancer Clinic, Rikshospitalet-Radiumhospitalet Medical Center, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway bDepartment of Oncology, University Hospital of Northern Norway, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway cDepartment of Oncology, Haukeland University Hospital, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway dDepartment of Oncology, St Olav's Hospital, National University for Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway eDepartment of Oncology, Ullevaal University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway Abstract Objectives This study explores sexual function in a large unselected sample of Norwegian testicular cancer survivors (TCSs) by comparing the results with population data. Methods The study included 1084 TCSs aged 20–59 yr with mean follow-up time of 11.1 (range: 5–21) yr. They provided information about their medical, social, lifestyle, and familial situations on a questionnaire that included the Brief Male Sexual Function Inventory (BSFI). Outcome measures were mean BSFI domain scores and BSFI-based prevalence rates of sexual problems. The BSFI findings of an age-adjusted random sample of the Norwegian male population (N = 929) constituted normative data (NORM). Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were applied, and a significance level of <0.01 was applied. Results Compared with NORM, TCSs had significantly worse scores on ejaculatory and sexual problems in both young (20–39 yr) and middle-aged (40–59 yr) groups. In the young group, sexual satisfaction was significantly better in TCSs versus NORM. Overall sexual problems were expressed by 38.8% of the TCSs versus 35.5% in NORM. In multivariate analyses, overall sexual problems in TCSs were significantly associated with increasing age, lack of a partner, and a higher anxiety score, while ejaculation problems showed significant association with lack of a partner, and a trend for chemotherapy and neurotoxic side effects (p = 0.02). Conclusions Compared with NORM, ejaculatory function was compromised in TCSs. Overall sexual problems in TCSs were associated with factors also observed in NORM. Better sexual satisfaction in young TCSs compared with NORM should be noted. Take Home Message Ejaculation was the only sexual function significantly compromised in long-term testicular cancer survivors compared with a normative sample. Overall sexual problems among survivors were associated with increasing age, lack of a partner, and high level of anxiety. doi:10.1016/j.eururo.2007.02.046 European Urology, online, March 2007 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.