Effects of vaginal dilation therapy on vaginal length, vaginal stenosis, vaginal elasticity and sexual function of cervical cancer survivors

Abstract

Background

Cervical cancer survivors can experience vaginal length shortening, vaginal stenosis, vaginal elasticity deterioration, sexual frequency reduction and sexual dysfunction. This prospective, uncontrolled, monocentric clinical interventional study aimed to evaluate the effect of vaginal dilation therapy on vaginal condition and sexual function of cervical cancer survivors who had not received timely vaginal dilation.

Methods

A total of 139 patients completed the study. They received 6 months of vaginal dilation therapy. We evaluated their vaginal elasticity, vaginal diameter, vaginal length and sexual function before and after vaginal dilation therapy. Their vaginal conditions were evaluated by customised vaginal moulds, and the sexual function was assessed by female sexual function index. The SPSS 25 software was used to analyse all the data.

Results

Age, vaginal diameter and sexual intercourse frequency before diagnosis were significantly associated with female sexual dysfunction of the patients after cancer treatment. Vaginal dilation therapy improved vaginal stenosis, vaginal length and sexual function in all the patients; however, the vaginal elasticity and incidence of sexual dysfunction did not improve significantly. Sexual intercourse frequency before diagnosis, vaginal elasticity, time interval from last treatment and treatment modalities were significantly associated with the change in female sexual function index score before and after vaginal dilation therapy. Patients with a time interval from the last treatment less than 24 months or those who had moderate or good vaginal elasticity, benefitted more from vaginal dilatation therapy.

Conclusions

Cervical cancer survivors who had not received timely vaginal dilation still benefitted from vaginal dilation therapy, irrespective of the treatment methods they received. Moreover, vaginal dilation therapy should be performed as early as possible after cervical cancer treatment.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

Cervical cancer survivors can experience vaginal condition deterioration and sexual dysfunction after treatment. Vaginal dilation can help improve vaginal stenosis, vaginal length and sexual function of these patients. However, some medical institutions in China do not provide timely vaginal dilation for this population. This study aimed to explore whether vaginal dilation was still effective for cervical cancer survivors who had not received timely vaginal dilation. The results showed that these patients still benefitted from vaginal dilation, irrespective of the treatment methods they received. Patients with a time interval from the last treatment less than 24 months or those who had moderate or good vaginal elasticity, benefitted more from vaginal dilation. The findings of the study is an indication to developing countries that more attention should be given to sexual issue of cervical cancer survivors in clinical practice, and vaginal dilation therapy should be performed promptly after treatment.

Keywords:

• Cervical cancer
• vaginal dilation therapy
• sexual function
• female sexual dysfunction

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Editage (www.editage.cn) for English language editing.

Authors’ contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Yu-Xuan Lin and Fei-Fei Zhao. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Yu-Xuan Lin, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Science and Technology Division of Beijing Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital, Capital Medical University and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Written informed consent was obtained for participation in this study. The approval number was 2021-YW-011-01.

Consent for publication

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. All authors provided consent for the publication of this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

Data availability statement

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.