Patient will have radiation to treat the cancer. This treatment can make the vagina both narrower and shorter. That can cause two problems. It can make it harder for the doctor to do a pelvic exam during a follow-up visits. And, it can make sexual intercourse uncomfortable. We tell women to use a vaginal dilator after radiation to the pelvis. This is standard education. We do not routinely ask women how they do with it. We are doing this study to see if using the dilator as we instruct will help the vagina stretch. The patient will have an examine of the vagina before the start of radiation. We will see what size dilator can fit. The goal of this study is to have the patient be able to use that size dilator within six months after radiation.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
115
Participants will be instructed to use the dilators 3 times per week, regardless of frequency of sexual intercourse. At 5 time points, data will be collected to determine vaginal dilator size, grade vaginal stenosis \& assess vaginal symptoms. 1)Baseline: patient self-assessment following consultation up until the end of the first week of radiation 2)Post-radiation: patient self-assessment one month ± 2 weeks follow-up from last day of radiation 3)Post-radiation: 3 month ± 4 weeks follow-up from initiation of dilator use 4)Post-radiation: 6 month ± 4 weeks follow-up from initiation of dilator use 5)Post-radiation: 12 months ± 4 weeks follow-up from initiation of dilator use. At the 1st \& 2nd time points, the nurse will telephone the patient to retrieve her responses. The 1st phone call will occur between the time following consultation up until the end of the first week of radiation, \& the 2nd will be one month ± 2 weeks from last day of radiation.
Memorial Sloan Kettering at Basking Ridge
Basking Ridge, New Jersey, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center @ Suffolk
Commack, New York, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering at Mercy Medical Center
Rockville Centre, New York, United States
Memoral Sloan Kettering Cancer Center@Phelps Memorial Hospital
Sleepy Hollow, New York, United States
To measure compliance with vaginal dilator use.
Time frame: conclusion of study
To examine the effect of dilator use in minimizing vaginal stenosis so that patients are able to use the pre-radiation baseline dilator size 6 months after starting dilator use.
Time frame: conclusion of study
To measure vaginal symptoms related to vaginal stenosis during vaginal dilation over 6 months after starting dilator use.
Time frame: conclusion of study
To explore reasons for non-compliance with use of dilators.
Time frame: conclusion of study
To explore patient-reported self-efficacy as it relates to the use of the vaginal dilator.
Time frame: conclusion of study
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