Solving sexual overall health difficulties of breast cancer individuals on endocrine therapy

Breast cancer drugs that can save a woman’s life can seriously harm her sexual overall health, says Dr. Christine E. Rojas, a breast cancer surgeon at the Sylvester Complete Cancer Center at the University of Miami College of Medicine. While medical doctors have historically been reluctant to assistance individuals handle these toxic side effects, Rojas is major efforts to turn the tide.

Rojas, each a breast surgical oncologist and a gynecologic surgeon, is a national leader in the remedy of sexual dysfunction in individuals undergoing cancer remedy. Other, extra broadly recognized side effects of life-saving estrogen-blocking drugs—also recognized as endocrine therapy—include pregnancy organizing challenges for premenopausal individuals and decreased bone mineralization. According to Rojas, all 3 of these entities need to be addressed as early as attainable when organizing the course of therapy for a breast cancer patient with an estrogen-sensitive tumor.

Rojas will determine the dangers posed by endocrine therapies, define symptoms and go over remedy selections in a presentation at the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago.

“By employing endocrine therapy to treat hormone-good breast cancer, we’re placing a lot of young girls into menopause, but we’re not carrying out a excellent job of preparing them for that,” mentioned Rojas, who produced the plan to address women’s sexual overall health. immediately after cancer remedy, Clinic for Urogenital Sexual Overall health and Intimacy in Menopause (MUSIC) in Sylvester. Faced with unexpectedly higher demand, the clinic had to expand shortly immediately after opening in 2020. As Rojas expanded the plan by instruction further specialists to meet this higher demand, the MUSIC plan became a prototype for equivalent applications across the nation. It remains the only oncology-focused women’s sexual overall health plan led by a dual-educated surgeon in the United States.

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Individuals are usually hesitant to bring up sexual overall health concerns with their providers, which is why we produced this revolutionary plan exactly where individuals can openly go over these concerns in a a single-on-a single survivorship plan. If we do not address these prevalent concerns faced by extra than 80% of girls who survive cancer, patient adherence to endocrine therapy decreases and the progress we have produced in enhancing breast cancer survival is hindered.

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Christine E. Rojas, a breast cancer surgeon at the Sylvester Complete Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller College of Medicine

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Rojas’ ASCO presentation will assistance providers anticipate and handle the most prevalent side effects seasoned by individuals on endocrine therapy (or estrogen-blocking drugs), formulate a customized remedy strategy, guide individuals toward proof-primarily based practice and away from potentially damaging “edges” of therapy, and eliminating prevalent pitfalls encountered in treating menopausal symptoms.

Amongst the certain subjects:

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• Hot flashes – causes, triggers and therapies.

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• Vaginal dryness and painful sex – causes, irritants and modifications in the vaginal microbiome.

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• Genitourinary Menopausal Syndrome (GSM) – Causes, Therapies, Lubricants, Devices and Drug Alternatives.

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• Merchandise, “therapies” and devices to steer clear of.

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• Danger of infertility and fertility preservation selections.

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• Decreased bone mineralization and improved fracture threat – monitoring and prevention approaches.

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Rojas’ presentation is portion of a session chaired by: “Juggling Law: Managing the Toxicity of Estrogen Deficiency for Breast Cancer Individuals,” Educational Session E451. It will commence at eight a.m. on June five, 2023 (CDT), as portion of the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.