How does cancer affect a woman’s sexuality, self-image and relationships?

For certain types of cancer, treatment also requires surgical removal of breasts, ovaries, uterus, cervix or other anatomical abnormalities.

Colorectal tumors can sometimes require a colostomy, Dr. Lim added. The surgery creates an opening in the colon through the abdomen to divert bodily waste into a collection bag, affecting patients’ daily lives and self-image.

June, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, underwent a mastectomy at the age of 28, nine months after her wedding.

“I was in denial. In the weeks before the operation, I would often wake up in the middle of the night, hoping the news was nothing more than a nightmare. When the reality hit me, I burst into tears. The thought of waking up in a hospital bed with a flat chest and a scar across my ribcage was too much for me,” she said.

She decided to Breast reconstruction and the doctors managed to save her nipple, although she now had no feeling permanently.

“That and my scars made me worry about how it would affect my relationship with my husband. But he never despised me because of it. He didn’t pressure me into physical intimacy and always put my health and recovery first,” June said.

Weight gain is also a common side effect, especially in women who undergo hormone therapy that causes changes in their hormonal function and who experience early menopause, Dr. Lim said.

Long-term use of steroids as part of cancer treatment can also lead to weight gain and water retention, she added.

Lisa was diagnosed with stage 3 thyroid cancer in 2016 and had to undergo surgery to remove her thyroid, which controls metabolism, and her lymph nodes, which are important for the immune system.

The 52-year-old used to be an ultramarathon runner and ran 160 km every week. But then she quickly gained 8 kg. “I feel weak and sluggish,” she said.

Even though her old clothes no longer fit her, she still has them. “I refuse to buy a bigger size. I just believe that one day I’ll manage it. Otherwise you’re stuck in a T-shirt, shorts and pajamas.”

DEALING WITH SEXUALITY, INTIMACY AND SEX

Many family members and friends do not understand the long-term effects of the disease and treatment on cancer patients.

“I hear from patients that they usually receive the strongest support from their relatives during treatment and that this effect may diminish over time as patients complete treatment and return to their pre-cancer lives,” said Assistant Professor Teo of NCCS.

“This is natural because patients look and feel stronger. But I also hear patients say that just because they are normal now, it doesn’t necessarily mean they look ‘normal.’ Their hair may have grown back, but symptoms like fatigue and neuropathy can have lasting effects… and are not visible to others,” she added.

Sometimes this unintentionally leads to the breakdown of relationships.

As a result of her cancer treatment and the surgical removal of her lymph nodes, Lisa suffers from constant allergies despite taking antihistamines daily. “My eyes are always swollen, watery and itchy. I constantly have itching in my ear and on the upper palate (in my mouth).”

This affected her sexuality, she said. “When you have constant allergies, intimacy is the last thing on your mind. And because of my allergies, I was always irritable. I also had mood swings.”

“For the first six months, my partner had some sympathy for me. But after that, he said, ‘Deal with it. It’s been six months.'”