Sexual function after radical surgery for rectal cancer

Advances and innovations in the multimodality therapy for rectal cancer have significantly improved oncologic outcomes with regard to overall and disease-specific survival. Accordingly, quality of life and functional outcomes are becoming increasingly important. Sexual dysfunction after treatment for rectal cancer has been reported in up to 69% of patients. However, the specific factors leading to sexual dysfunction are poorly understood with limited relevant data. This review aims to clarify the incidence of sexual dysfunction after radical rectal cancer resection and identify surgical contributing factors in an effort to improve quality of life outcomes and identify questions that should be addressed in future studies.