Effect of chemotherapy on sexual function in patients with non-metastatic breast cancer

Abstract

Non-metastatic breast cancer does not spread from the initial site. More than 90 % of people diagnosed with breast cancer are non-metastatic. Chemotherapy reduces the mortality rate by up to 40 %, but it also causes physical, psychological, sexual and social effects. Therefore, we aimed to identify changes in sexual function caused by chemotherapy in patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer. Chemotherapy includes four groups of drugs: anthracyclines, alkylating agents, antimetabolites, and taxanes. These cause local ischemia and depletion of primordial follicles, resulting in early menopause and physiological changes that affect physical, sexual and psychological function. A review of the literature was carried out using indexes or databases such as PubMed, SciELO, Elsevier, as well as the journals The Lancet and Nature. Original and peer-reviewed articles in English and Spanish that were published between 2019 and 2023 were included. One of the best treatment options for non-metastatic breast cancer currently is chemotherapy, but it has been shown to cause early menopause, alterations in sex hormones and alterations in sexual function.