Men's experience of erectile dysfunction after treatment for colorectal cancer: qualitative interview study

George Dowswell, Tariq Ismail, Sheila Greenfield, Sue Clifford, Beverley Hancock, Sue Wilson, George Dowswell, Tariq Ismail, Sheila Greenfield, Sue Clifford, Beverley Hancock, Sue Wilson

Abstract

Objectives: To examine the experiences of men after treatment for colorectal cancer, identify barriers to accessing services, and suggest improvements to providing information in primary and secondary care.

Design: Semistructured, qualitative interview study with purposive sampling and thematic analysis.

Participants: 28 patients treated for colorectal cancer.

Setting: West Midlands.

Results: Most men treated for colorectal cancer experience erectile dysfunction as a consequence. Not all, however, want the same response from health professionals. Although, erectile dysfunction is profoundly stressful for most men, affecting self image, behaviour, and relationships, some do not regard it as a health priority. Many of the men were uninformed about erectile dysfunction and were unprepared for it, and the majority neither helped themselves nor asked for help. Almost none were receiving adequate, effective, and affordable care. Evidence of ageism was strong.

Conclusions: Unlike patients with prostate cancer, men with colorectal cancer are not routinely offered information and treatment for erectile dysfunction. Greater coordination of care and consistent strategies are needed to tackle the unmet needs of this widely diverse patient group. Currently, clinicians are inadvertently neglecting, misleading, and offending such patients; better training could improve this situation, as might the reorganisation of services. Further research is needed to determine whether trained clinical nurse specialists in colorectal cancer units could coordinate ongoing care.

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form at www.icmje.org/coi_disclosure.pdf (available on request from the corresponding author) and declare: no support from any organisation for the submitted work; no financial relationships with any organisations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous three years; and no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/4788324/bin/dowg827006.f1_default.jpg
Fig 1 Thematic framework

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Source: PubMed

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