Modern life gets us in contact with an increased number of cancer inducing or boosting factors, from pollutants to food additives and stress. And while the number of cancer patients grows, so do their survival rates due to ceaseless research on the medical field and cancer turns into a chronic condition.

A life partner can improve survivors' overall wellness, but his/her absence is difficult in the absence of a sexual relationship.
Severe sexual problems can be in 50 % of the cases the side effect of the treatment of early-stage cervical and endometrial cancer for many women following hysterectomy (the removal of the uterus), but no similar link was found for hysterectomy in benign cases, like fibroids.

A new research made at Indiana University made on 19 women who had hysterectomies for early stage cervical and endometrial cancer has found that a targeted therapeutic method involving mindfulness training could improve desire, orgasm, arousal and other sexual issues in only three one-hour sessions.

The subjects experienced severe sexual issues following the hysterectomies, like lack of lubrication, less actual or perceived genital sensation during sex and even relationship impairment.

"Often women who have had cancer are interested in being sexual, physical. A lot of these women can be in their 30s," said co-author Julia Heiman, director of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction at Indiana University.
"By offering women something that can improve this part of their lives, in a sense you're investing in the hopeful side of their surviving a serious disease like cancer."

Mindfulness is an old Eastern philosophical and spiritual practice that focuses on the moment, removing unrelated thoughts and worries, and got till now little attention in researches on sexuality. In the new research, the practice was part of the psychoeducational method enabling women to achieve emotional and conscious changes in their thoughts about disease and sexuality.

"It is unusual, however, for post treatment cancer counseling to address sexuality because so many other important issues, such as nutrition and exercise, also need to be addressed," said Heiman.

In the one-hour sessions, the women received information about sexual skills and relaxation methods, mindfulness training and home-work assignments for practicing their newly learned skills.

"The therapy was skills-oriented rather than based on discussing the women's difficulties. The therapy used in their pilot study could be offered by social workers and nurses, not just psychologists. It can be someone who knows something about the conditions the women are experiencing, someone aware of the fact that it's important and remarkable when people make an effort in this area." said Heiman.

The method was also beneficial in mitigating the mild depression amongst subjects, who also reported an improved overall life quality.

The other co-author of the research was Lori Brotto, professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of British Columbia, in Vancouver.