What is the main reason of erectile dysfunction in lymphoma patients: Chemotherapy or Depression?

Abstract

Background Erectile dysfunction (ED) may be associated with chemotherapy and depression in lymphoma patients. The role of depression in developing ED in lymphoma patients may be more critical than chemotherapy. This study aimed to determine which plays a more important role in ED. Material and Methods This study included 20 patients aged under 60 years who were admitted to the Hematology Outpatient Clinic between March 2015 and March 2016 and diagnosed with lymphoma. While the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to assess depression severity before (T1), during (T2) and after (T3) chemotherapy, the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) was used to assess sexual function. The Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used for statistical analysis. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Twenty male lymphoma patients (14 [70%] patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 6 [30%] patients with Hodgkin lymphoma) were included in the study. The mean BDI score was 11.75±1.44 at T1, 6.60±3.61 at T2, and 3.25±2.12 at T3, respectively (p<0.01). The mean IIEF score was 15.25±6.12 at T1, 12.95±6.03 at T2, and 20.40±8.59 at T3, respectively (p<0.01). There was a significant decrease in the mean BDI and IIEF scores between T1 and T2. However, the mean BDI score decreased between T2 and T3, while the mean IIEF score tended to increase. Conclusions It is impossible to suggest a single cause when considering the multifactorial aetiology of ED in lymphoma patients. However, our study showed that depression and related psychological factors are the leading cause of ED in lymphoma patients.

Keywords

• Erectile Dysfunction
• Depression
• Chemotherapy

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