Marie-Pierre Cyr1, Chantale Dumoulin2, Paul Bessette3, Annick Pina4, Walter Henry Gotlieb5, Korine Lapointe-Milot3, Marie-Hélène Mayrand6, Mélanie Morin7. 1. School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sherbrooke, 3001 12e Avenue N, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1H 5N4, Canada; Research Center of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e Avenue N, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1H 5N4, Canada. 2. School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, 7077 Park Avenue, Montreal, Quebec H3N 1X7, Canada; Research Center of the Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, 4545 Queen Mary, Montreal, Quebec H3W 1W6, Canada. 3. Research Center of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e Avenue N, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1H 5N4, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sherbrooke, 3001 12e Avenue N, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1H 5N4, Canada. 4. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, PO Box 6128 Centre-ville Station, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada; Research Center of the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 900 Saint-Denis, Montreal, Quebec H2X 0A9, Canada. 5. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, 1001 Decarie Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada; Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1E2, Canada. 6. Research Center of the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 900 Saint-Denis, Montreal, Quebec H2X 0A9, Canada; Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, PO Box 6128 Centre-ville Station, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada. 7. School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sherbrooke, 3001 12e Avenue N, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1H 5N4, Canada; Research Center of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e Avenue N, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1H 5N4, Canada. Electronic address: melanie.m.morin@usherbrooke.ca.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES:Painful sexual intercourse (dyspareunia) is a distressing condition affecting a large proportion of gynecological cancer survivors, yet treatments remain limited and poorly studied. This multicenter prospective interventional study examined the feasibility, acceptability and effects of multimodal pelvic floor physical therapy in gynecological cancer survivors with dyspareunia. METHODS:Thirty-one endometrial and cervical cancer survivors with dyspareunia participated in 12 weekly 60-minphysical therapy sessions combining education, manual therapy, pelvic floor muscle exercises using biofeedback and home exercises, which included the use of a dilator. The adherence rate to home exercises (≥80%), the attendance rate at physical therapy sessions (≥80% of participants attending ≥10 sessions) and the dropout rate (˂15%) served as feasibility and acceptability outcomes and benchmarks. Pain intensity, pain quality, sexual function, pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms and quality of life were measured at baseline and post-treatment. Treatment satisfaction and participants' perceived improvement were also assessed. RESULTS: The adherence rate was 88% (SD 10), 29/31 (94%) women attended ≥10 treatment sessions, and the dropout rate was 3%. Moreover, women experienced significant improvements in all outcomes after the intervention (p ≤ 0.044). They also reported being highly satisfied with the treatment (9.3/10 (SD 1.2)), and 90% of them were very much or much improved. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the feasibility and acceptability of multimodal pelvic floor physical therapy for gynecological cancer survivors with dyspareunia. The intervention also led to significant improvements in pain, sexual function, pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms and quality of life. A randomized controlled trial is needed to confirm these results.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVES:Painful sexual intercourse (dyspareunia) is a distressing condition affecting a large proportion of gynecological cancer survivors, yet treatments remain limited and poorly studied. This multicenter prospective interventional study examined the feasibility, acceptability and effects of multimodal pelvic floor physical therapy in gynecological cancer survivors with dyspareunia. METHODS: Thirty-one endometrial and cervical cancer survivors with dyspareunia participated in 12 weekly 60-min physical therapy sessions combining education, manual therapy, pelvic floor muscle exercises using biofeedback and home exercises, which included the use of a dilator. The adherence rate to home exercises (≥80%), the attendance rate at physical therapy sessions (≥80% of participants attending ≥10 sessions) and the dropout rate (˂15%) served as feasibility and acceptability outcomes and benchmarks. Pain intensity, pain quality, sexual function, pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms and quality of life were measured at baseline and post-treatment. Treatment satisfaction and participants' perceived improvement were also assessed. RESULTS: The adherence rate was 88% (SD 10), 29/31 (94%) women attended ≥10 treatment sessions, and the dropout rate was 3%. Moreover, women experienced significant improvements in all outcomes after the intervention (p ≤ 0.044). They also reported being highly satisfied with the treatment (9.3/10 (SD 1.2)), and 90% of them were very much or much improved. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the feasibility and acceptability of multimodal pelvic floor physical therapy for gynecological cancer survivors with dyspareunia. The intervention also led to significant improvements in pain, sexual function, pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms and quality of life. A randomized controlled trial is needed to confirm these results.
Authors: Amelia Barcellini; Mattia Dominoni; Francesca Dal Mas; Helena Biancuzzi; Sara Carla Venturini; Barbara Gardella; Ester Orlandi; Kari Bø Journal: Front Med (Lausanne) Date: 2022-02-03