
Predicting recurrence in CRC using post-operative circulating tumour DNA
September 2023 Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) refers to the fragmen [...]
READ MORESexuality and relationships during and after cancer is extremely important to patients (especially early-age onset patients!), however this remains one of the least talked about concerns. We would like to change that! If you want to learn more about common side-effects of cancer and treatment, and how to discuss these with your healthcare provider, you are not alone. This blog post will cover a range of sexuality and relationship issues and will provide resources to gain more information.
First, let’s start by defining what we mean by sexuality and relationships. Sexuality (also known as sexual health) is broadly how people express themselves sexually. Sexuality is unique to everyone, but can be shown through actions, behaviours and in relationships. Sexuality is not just the act of sex, but also includes intimacy in many forms, such as holding hands, hugging, kissing, cuddling, or even the clothes that a person wears. Relationships can be with an intimate partner, but also include those with friends and family members. Our sexuality and relationships can be altered after a colorectal cancer diagnosis, which affects overall health and quality of life.
Patients
Having a conversation with your care provider about sexuality, relationships and fertility is extremely important. Not all care providers will start the conversation about these aspects of treatment, so it is important to be your own advocate. If you have an intimate partner, it may be beneficial to include them in these conversations with your care provider, if you feel comfortable doing so.
Research also suggests that care providers may not know how to ask questions regarding sexual orientation and gender identity. Again, it may be necessary to start the conversation with your care provider regarding how you identify yourself now and what sex you were at birth. If you are a transgender male or female, it is important to discuss procedures, medications or hormones that you are taking. It may seem scary to discuss these details with your care team, but it will assure that you get the personalized care that you need. Remember that all information that you share with your care team is entirely confidential, and starting the conversation is the hardest part.
Caregivers & Partners
Caregivers and partners play a vital role in maintaining a high quality of life for the patient. When the patient trusts their caregiver or partner, and is comfortable sharing intimate details, they often feel more attractive and confident. Open communication is key, and having your caregiver or partner attend follow-ups and check-ups can also be beneficial, as they can help you to articulate your side-effects or concerns.
Having these conversations with your caregiver or partner can be scary and intimidating, so starting small is a great approach. Discussing less intimate subjects, such as concerns about self-esteem, may be a good place to start before discussing more intimate topics such as sexual function. As a caregiver or partner, you can also take the lead in having conversations about intimate aspects of cancer and treatment, however it is extremely important to ensure that your loved one is comfortable. If you bring up a topic area that your loved one is not yet ready to discuss, do not force it.
To learn more about sexuality and relationships for colorectal cancer patients and caregivers, read this article by the American Cancer Society: How Cancer and Cancer Treatment Can Affect Sexuality.
Pre-Treatment
Prior to surgery and treatment, patients and caregivers or partners should be aware of any changes that may occur to their body or sexual function as a result. Every patient and care plan is different, so these details are unique to you. Having these conversations with your care team can help you make informed decisions about your sexuality and relationships. This may also be a good time to discuss fertility preservation with your care team if this is something that is important to you.
To learn more about fertility preservation for colorectal cancer patients, read Fertility Preservation: The Good, The Ugly & Giving Cancer the Middle Finger by the Colorectal Cancer Alliance.
During Treatment
Treatment can impact sexuality, intimacy and relationships in a number of ways. Men can experience low testosterone levels during and after chemotherapy, and radiation can cause sexual function issues such as erection problems. Men can also experience a reduced sperm count as a result of radiation. Women can experience sudden or premature menopause due to chemotherapy, and some women have their ovaries removed during colorectal cancer surgery. Additionally, all cancer patients may have concerns about sex and intimacy with an ostomy, which is totally normal! Again, every patient and treatment plan is different, so appointments prior to or during treatment are an ideal time to discuss these issues with your care team. Your caregiver or partner can be a great support system in these difficult conversations.
After Treatment
Some of the side effects of colorectal cancer treatment may linger long-term, or even for life. However, these are usually manageable and do not need to take a major toll on a patient’s confidence, self-esteem, relationships and sexuality. Your care team can help you manage these, and your caregiver or partner can support you through these physical and emotional changes.
To learn more about common physical changes due to colorectal cancer treatment, read Sex Life by Cancer Research UK.
To learn more about sex during and after treatment, read Sex After Colon Cancer by the Colorectal Cancer Alliance.
Palliative Care and End of Life
Sexuality and relationships are an important aspect of a good quality of life for palliative patients. Talking to your health care team about sexual function issues is just as important as any other physical side-effects or issues that you may be experiencing. Many sexual function issues can be managed if they are brought to the attention of your health care team, so again, communication is key!
If you are experiencing concerns or issues with sexuality, relationships and intimacy after your colorectal cancer diagnosis, know that you are not alone! Most patients do experience changes to their sexuality, but unfortunately, it is simply not talked about enough. Ultimately, communication with your caregiver, partner and health care team are the key to high quality of life through treatment and beyond.
We are here for you! If you would like to discuss sexuality and relationships with our Patient Support team, please reach out to info@colorectalcancercanada.com.
If you are an early-age onset colorectal cancer patient or caregiver, please consider completing our survey to help us learn more about your experiences: Patient & Caregiver Experiences with Early Onset Colorectal Cancer in Canada.
To learn more, check out this research article in the Annals of Oncology Journal: Sexual (dys) function and the quality of sexual life in patients with colorectal cancer: a systematic review
September 2023 Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) refers to the fragmen [...]
READ MORESeptember 2023 After a cancer diagnosis, the impact of exercise on [...]
READ MORELearning that you have metastatic cancer can be a physically and emoti [...]
READ MOREAugust 2023 The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved [...]
READ MOREAugust 2023 A recent study demonstrated that a liver transplant pro [...]
READ MOREIf you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, you know that it [...]
READ MOREJuly 2023 Fruquintinib is a small molecule inhibitor of the vascula [...]
READ MOREJuly 2023 Phase III studies have shown the advantage of combining c [...]
READ MOREA recent analysis from the PROSPECT trial examined trends in patient-r [...]
READ MOREThe DESTINY-CRC01 trial was one of the first studies to show that the [...]
READ MORESome forms of stress are not harmful to our body such as the stress we [...]
READ MOREMay 2023 Recent data presented at Digestive Disease Week in Chicago [...]
READ MOREMay 2023 A patient navigator helps patients through the healthcare [...]
READ MOREAttending a medical appointment can be daunting for some people. It is [...]
READ MOREApril 2023 A recent study published in JAMA Oncology found that amo [...]
READ MOREApril 2023 A recent study published in JAMA Network Open showed tha [...]
READ MOREMarch 2023 - Results from a phase I study presented at the American So [...]
READ MOREMarch 2023 -A German study published in BMC Cancer explored the emotio [...]
READ MOREJanuary 2023 There is increasing evidence to support the use of cir [...]
READ MOREJanuary 2023 Findings from the phase III SUNLIGHT trial were presente [...]
READ MORELocations: BC, AB, ON, QC Status: currently recruiting Trial descr [...]
READ MORENovember 2022 A new study involving patients with different cancer [...]
READ MORENovember 2022 To better understand the role of the gut microbiome i [...]
READ MOREOctober 2022 A recent study published in the Journal of the Nationa [...]
READ MOREEarlier this month, controversial news headlines emerged: “Colonoscopi [...]
READ MORELocation: Canada-wide Status: Currently recruiting Trial Descrip [...]
READ MOREFindings from the global FRESCO-2 trial showed that a drug called fruq [...]
READ MOREFindings from a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology de [...]
READ MOREUlcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affect [...]
READ MORECrohn’s disease is a chronic (long-term) inflammatory disease that can [...]
READ MOREIn this Q&A, Dr. Brandon Sheffield, Pathologist with the William O [...]
READ MOREIn this Q&A, Suzanne Zwicker, Clinical Pharmacist on the National [...]
READ MOREJuly 2022 The annual ESMO World Congress on Gastrointestinal (GI) C [...]
READ MOREJuly 2022 Patients who have colorectal cancer that has spread to th [...]
READ MOREJune 2022 Minimal residual disease (MRD) is a term that refers to cance [...]
READ MOREMay 2022. Image source: https://www.whathealth.com/breastcancer/her2rec [...]
READ MOREMay 2022 The KEYNOTE-177 trial is a landmark study in colorectal ca [...]
READ MOREApril 2022. A new study from Australia found that heavy drinking in [...]
READ MOREApril 2022. A study published in JAMA Network Open investigated whe [...]
READ MOREMarch 2022. While obesity is a known risk factor for colorectal can [...]
READ MOREhttps://youtu.be/-Oi2jBJDUNc February 2022. Join Patient Support Spe [...]
READ MOREJanuary 2022 Total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) is a standard approach [...]
READ MOREJanuary 2022 Oxaliplatin is an important intravenous chemotherapy d [...]
READ MOREJanuary 2022. Laura Ferguson, a current ileostomy patient, and Karen Br [...]
READ MOREJoin Chana, our Patient Support Specialist, as she sits down to a cand [...]
READ MOREJoin Dr. Scott Berry, Professor & Department Head, Department of O [...]
READ MORELeft: Laura A. Dawson, MD, FRCPC, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre/Univ [...]
READ MOREThis month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared an investig [...]
READ MOREIn 2016, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (U [...]
READ MOREIn 2020, Jason was diagnosed with stage 3b colorectal cancer at age 36. In [...]
READ MOREDr. Megan Bernard, naturopathic doctor, discusses a variety of tips and su [...]
READ MORENutritionist Jill Haverstock discusses a variety of tips and suggestions t [...]
READ MOREDr. Mel Borins is a family practitioner based in Toronto, Ontario. He crea [...]
READ MOREJason Abramovitch is an early age onset stage 3b colon cancer survivor who [...]
READ MOREOn December 3rd 2021, Physiotherapist Thi Tran gave a compelling session o [...]
READ MORENovember 2021 Findings from a recent study published in JAMA Networ [...]
READ MORENovember 2021 Findings from phase II of the CheckMate-142 trial sho [...]
READ MOREThe EPOCH trial is the first phase III international study evaluating the [...]
READ MOREImmunotherapy has revolutionized the way cancer is treated by boosting [...]
READ MOREColorectal (CRC) cancer screening and diagnosis during the COVID-19 pa [...]
READ MOREA Swedish population study published this month in the Journal of the [...]
READ MOREAdjuvant (post-surgical) chemotherapy is useful in reducing the risk o [...]
READ MOREThe fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is a widely used colorectal cancer [...]
READ MORENew findings from a study presented at the European Society for Medica [...]
READ MOREWhile many different risk factors for colorectal cancer (CRC) have bee [...]
READ MOREFindings from a recent study show that multigene panel testing of patients [...]
READ MOREThe final recommendation from the United States Preventive Services Ta [...]
READ MOREPeriodontal disease (PD) is a set of inflammatory conditions that affect t [...]
READ MOREThe US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the market [...]
READ MOREWe've posted some new recipe videos on our sister site, Foods that Fight C [...]
READ MOREThe Ontario Cancer Research Institute (OICR) held a conference on Tran [...]
READ MOREApril is Diversity Month dedicated to celebrating and honouring all in [...]
READ MOREResults from a systematic review published in JAMA Oncology found that [...]
READ MOREA study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology Precision Oncology s [...]
READ MOREMolecular profiling in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer has been named by [...]
READ MOREYour physical, emotional and mental well-being are vital to your ability t [...]
READ MORENew findings from the University of Alberta published in the Journal of th [...]
READ MOREFindings from a recent study presented at the 2021 Gastrointestinal Ca [...]
READ MOREColorectal cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer in Canada. Twent [...]
READ MORE10 December 2020Findings from a recent study showed that people who regula [...]
READ MORE22 December 2020 Hepatic Artery Infusion (HAI) chemotherapy is sometime [...]
READ MORENovember 2020 Findings from a recent study conducted by the Mayo Clinic [...]
READ MOREThe non-surgical management or “watch-and-wait” approach for rectal c [...]
READ MOREThe incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is rising among young adults, who [...]
READ MOREOpportunity to Investigate the Microbiome’s Impact on Science and Treatmen [...]
READ MORENew findings from a study conducted at the University of Sheffield in [...]
READ MOREChadwick Boseman’s death from colorectal cancer (CRC) at age 43 was a shoc [...]
READ MOREToday, Wednesday September 30th, is World Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Day [...]
READ MOREDr. Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD, discusses optimal sequencing strategies for [...]
READ MOREThe European Society for Medical Oncology ESMO Virtual Congress 2020 t [...]
READ MOREJesse Fishman is a 17-year-old hockey player, currently playing for the Ki [...]
READ MORE12 August 2020 Recent findings from a Swedish cohort study found that p [...]
READ MOREIt was the day of the lockdown. My family doctor called. “The colorectal c [...]
READ MOREFill out the survey! The world was shocked late last week as we learned a [...]
READ MOREPrevious data have shown that certain species of intestinal bacteria not o [...]
READ MOREAs we transition into autumn, take a moment to appreciate the seasonal pro [...]
READ MOREThe COVID-19 pandemic has presented countless new challenges in cancer car [...]
READ MOREThe COVID-19 pandemic situation is constantly evolving. Canada is slowly r [...]
READ MOREResults of several new studies provide important perspectives on the use o [...]
READ MOREIn the past two years, findings from important clinical trials are shaping [...]
READ MOREHold the Date! On behalf of Colorectal Cancer Canada (CCC), you are cordi [...]
READ MOREWhat is Lynch Syndrome? Lynch syndrome is a genetically inherited conditi [...]
READ MORECoronavirus has taken the world by storm since the beginning of 2020, and [...]
READ MORETo ensure the health and safety of our participants, volunteers, staff and [...]
READ MOREThe American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) held its annual meeting a [...]
READ MOREIn just a few months, coronavirus (COVID-19) has transformed our lives. De [...]
READ MOREIt has been known for millennia that what we eat can be powerful medicine [...]
READ MOREThe last few decades have seen important advances in colorectal cancer tre [...]
READ MORECo-leads of Push For Your Tush Ottawa share their connection to the cause [...]
READ MOREThe Centre de recherche of the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbro [...]
READ MOREOn June 24, 2019, colorectal cancer screening in Ontario is changing to th [...]
READ MOREToday we remember Dr. Henry Lynch, esteemed researcher and father of hered [...]
READ MOREOn Tuesday, July 16, Colorectal Cancer Canada (CCC) held our third annual [...]
READ MOREResearchers with the World Health Organization confirm increased rates of [...]
READ MORELast Thursday and Friday, Morgan Kennedy, CCC’s Never Too Young Program Ma [...]
READ MOREColorectal Cancer Canada (CCC) is proud to announce the publication of the [...]
READ MOREToday, the Giant Colon Tour stopped at the University of Montreal Hospital [...]
READ MOREMost people do not know that cancer is the number one cause of death among [...]
READ MOREMarch is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month! Colorectal cancer may touch yo [...]
READ MORE