Following therapy for a germ cell tumor a male patient may experience erectile dysfunction (ED) and/or ejaculatory dysfunction. Male sexual dysfunction may be associated with worse quality of life.
Patient selection: germ cell tumor status post therapy
15% of survivors had moderate ED while 20% had severe ED.
36% of survivors had ejaculatory dysfunction.
The most important parameter for sexual dysfunction was follow-up period, with improvement over time. A follow-up after 2 years usually shows improvement over early evaluations.
Other factors:
(1) elevated serum LH (OR 0.08 for ED in multivariate analysis; OR 0.09 for ejaculatory dysfunction in multivariate analysis)
(2) older age (most males with GCT are adolescents or young adults, but long-term survival can be expected)
(3) other risk factors for ED such as depression or diabetes
If the patient has sexual dysfunction, then evaluate the patient for quality of life, and vice versa.
