Breast Cancer, Aromatase Inhibitor Therapy, and Sexual Functioning: The Effects of Vaginal Testosterone Therapy
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2013-05-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
It is well documented that women who have breast cancer may experience a decrease in quality
of life and sexual functioning due to side effects from adjuvant endocrine therapy, typically
aromatase inhibitors (AIs). Women taking AIs are more likely to report unpleasant urogenital
and vaginal symptoms due to the physiologic suppression of estradiol. This treatment can
impair sexual functioning and cause a decreased sexual health quality of life.
At the present time, there are no Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved medications for
the vulvovaginal or sexual side effects related to the use of AIs. The lack of treatment
options is concerning because the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer continues to
increase; their longevity, also, continues to increase with the use of newer adjuvant
chemotherapies. Local health care practitioners have observed that the benefits of vaginal
testosterone for sexual health in breast cancer survivors are similar to the benefits of
vaginal estrogen in women without breast cancer.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of using a daily compounded vaginal
testosterone cream for 4 weeks (28 days) on breast cancer survivor's reported experience of
vulvovaginal symptoms accompanying the use of AIs and their associated quality of life and
sexual functioning.