In breast cancer survivors, lidocaine may relieve pain during intercourse

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

According to a new study published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers at Oregon Health and Science University have found that breast cancer survivors who experience pain or discomfort during sexual intercourse may benefit from applying liquid lidocaine to the vulvar area.

Results of the study showed that the application of liquid lidocaine achieved reduced sexual distress and pain during intercourse, as well as improved sexual function. Participants applied the aqueous lidocaine 3 minutes prior to vaginal penetration.

Participants were estrogen-deficient breast cancer survivors. Low estrogen is known to be associated with pain during sexual intercourse.

"The physical and psychological consequences for the more than 2.8 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. are very real and often misunderstood, or not treated," said Martha F. Goetsch, M.D., M.P.H., adjunct assistant professor in the OHSU Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the study's lead author. "This noninvasive treatment will offer distinct help in alleviating the physical—and quite frankly the emotional—pain associated with sexual intercourse, making sexual function more enjoyable and fulfilling for them and their partner."