Sexual Function in Patients with Metastatic Midgut Carcinoid Tumours

• Published in: Neuroendocrinology Vol. 89; no. 2; pp. 231 - 236
• Main Authors: van der Horst-Schrivers, Anouk N.A., van Ieperen, Ellen, Wymenga, A.N. Machteld, Boezen, H. Marike, Weijmar-Schultz, Willibrord C.M., Kema, Ido P., Meijer, Wim G., de Herder, Wouter W., Willemse, Pax H.B., Links, Thera P., de Vries, Elisabeth G.E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland Karger 01.02.2009; S. Karger AG
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoid Tumor - complications; Carcinoid Tumor - pathology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Intestinal Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neuroendocrine Tumors; Sex Characteristics; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological - complications; Vertebrates: endocrinology; Sexual behaviour; Serotonin; Carcinoid tumour; Quality of life; Human; Quality; Sexual behavior; Neurotransmitter; Malignant tumor; Metastasis; Carcinoid tumor; Cancer
• ISSN: 0028-3835; 1423-0194
• DOI: 10.1159/000178754

Background: Sexual dysfunction is a poorly studied aspect of quality of life in patients with midgut carcinoid tumours. We investigated whether carcinoid patients experience sexual problems. Methods: Patients with metastatic midgut carcinoid tumours filled in a validated questionnaire for sexual dysfunction. The prevalence of dysfunction on the subscales arousal, erection, lubrication, orgasm and dyspareunia was compared to a Dutch reference population. Plasma concentration of gonadal hormones, tryptophan and urinary 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid concentrations were measured. Results: 43 patients were studied, 27 men and 16 women. Sexual dysfunction was present in 29.6% of men and 6.3% of women. The prevalence of sexual dysfunction on the different subscales did not differ from the reference population. Patients with a sexual dysfunction had, compared to those without a sexual dysfunction, a longer duration of disease, 95.3 months (range 5.4–314.5) versus 18.6 months (range 0.6–167.9) (p = 0.024), lower plasma tryptophan concentration (±SD) of 31.5 ± 16.1 and 48.9 ± 14.5 μmol/l (p = 0.031), and more often used interferon-α, 50% of patients versus 10.5% of patients (p = 0.044). Conclusion: Patients with metastatic midgut carcinoid tumours do not experience sexual problems more often than a reference population. Male patients with sexual dysfunction are characterised by more long-standing disease and lower tryptophan concentration.