Sexual implications of gynecologic cancer treatments.

Gynecologic cancers affected 81,000 women in 1999. The disease and its associated treatment commonly pose a threat not only to the life of such patients, but also to their sexuality and fertility. These women and their partners require knowledgeable, compassionate care. Effective, holistic nursing care for women experiencing gynecologic cancers requires an understanding of basic concepts of female sexuality, the diagnosis and treatment of gynecologic malignancies, the impact of the disease and its treatment on a woman's sexuality, and ways the nurse can incorporate sexuality issues into practice.