Exercise Boosts Sexual Health in Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer
If you’re dealing with metastatic breast cancer, it’s completely understandable that your sex life may have taken a hit. A recent study suggests that daily exercise may help women with metastatic breast cancer to be more interested in sex and to find sex more enjoyable. The findings were presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) meeting in May.
Key Takeaways
At the beginning of the study, a low percentage of women said they had interest in sex; fewer than half said they enjoyed the sex they had.
Women who participated in a nine-month supervised exercise program had better sexual function and fewer sexual side effects than women who didn’t participate in this exercise program.
What the results mean for you
If you’re being treated for metastatic breast cancer and you want to have better sex, you might want to consider a regular exercise program.
If the idea of exercise when you are dealing with fatigue, nausea, bone metastases, or pain feels daunting, start with a conversation with your doctor or someone else on your cancer care team. They know your situation and can tell you if you should avoid any specific movements.
You also may want to look for a trainer who has gone through the American College of Sports Medicine cancer and exercise training program. The organization offers an exercise program directory you can use to search for a certified cancer exercise trainer and exercise programs specifically for people with cancer.
If you’ve never exercised before, it makes sense to start slowly and gradually increase the time and intensity you exercise. Walking for about 15 minutes a day can be a good way to start. Gentle stretching also can be a good way to start.
About the study
Called the PREFERABLE-EFFECT trial, the study included 355 women and two men diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer who lived in five European countries and Australia. Earlier results from this study showed that exercise eased fatigue, improved physical functioning, and boosted overall quality of life in women with metastatic disease. For the current study, the researchers explored whether exercise might also reduce sexual side effects.
The average age of the women in the study was about 55. About 68% of the women had bone metastases.
The researchers randomly assigned them to one of two groups:
one group participated in a nine-month supervised exercise program that included aerobic, resistance, and balance exercises; they exercised with a trainer twice a week and were told to be physically active for 30 or more minutes a day the other five days of the week
the other received usual care, which consisted of general exercise advice
All the people in the study received an activity tracker so the researchers could compare their level of activity with any changes over time in sexual side effects and function.
The researchers assessed sexual function and side effects four times during the study: When the study started and three, six, and nine months later.
Detailed results
These results are about the women in the study since the number of men was so small.
When the study started, the women’s sexual function was low:
60% weren’t sexually active
46% of the women who were sexually active said they didn’t enjoy sex
26% said they had moderate or severe vaginal dryness or pain
24% had poor body image
At the six-month assessment, women in the exercise group had better sexual function. Exercise also eased vaginal dryness and pain. These improvements remained at the nine-month assessment. These differences were statistically significant, which means they were likely due to the difference in exercise and not because of chance.
The women in the exercise group also seemed to enjoy sex more than women who were not in the exercise group, but this difference wasn’t statistically significant.
Learn more
For more information on how exercise may help to reduce fatigue and improve quality of life in people with metastatic breast cancer, listen to the episode of The Breastcancer.org Podcast featuring Dr. Anne May.
The Benefits of Exercise for People Living With Metastatic Disease
Dec 8, 2023Schmidt ME, et al. The effects of exercise on sexual health and breast cancer-specific symptom burden in women with metastatic breast cancer: Results of the multinational randomized PREFERABLE-EFFECT trial. ESMO Breast Cancer 2024, Abstract 269MO.
— Last updated on September 4, 2024 at 6:45 PM