Sexual life and intimate relationship experience among bladder cancer patients: a systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis
Abstract
Objectives: The global incidence of bladder cancer continues to rise. Treatments for this disease, particularly radical cystectomy and urinary diversion, can profoundly disrupt sexual function and intimate relationships, leading to physiological, psychological, relational, and existential changes. However, qualitative evidence syntheses that integrate these experiences remain limited. This review aimed to synthesize qualitative research on bladder cancer patients' sexual life and intimate relationship experiences in order to inform the development of couple-centered interventions and continuous sexual rehabilitation services.
Methods: This study was conducted as a systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis and was reported in accordance with ENTREQ. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, CNKI, WanFang, and VIP were searched from database inception to January 2026 for qualitative studies on the sexual life and intimate relationship experiences of bladder cancer patients. Studies were selected according to predefined PICoS-based eligibility criteria. Methodological quality was independently appraised by two reviewers using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research, and the findings were synthesized using Thomas and Harden's three-stage thematic synthesis approach.
Results: A total of 10 studies involving 183 participants were included in the synthesis. Fifty-four qualitative findings were aggregated into nine…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a systematic review, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 183 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Regulation of nucleolus assembly by non-coding RNA polymerase II transcripts
- For a Healthy Histone Code, a Little SUMO in the Tail Keeps the Acetyl Away
- Discovering a binary CTCF code with a little help from BORIS
- Article Commentary: Stabilizing the Code–-Methods to Preserve RNA Prove Their Worth
- Foreword to the Special Issue for the RINTC (The Implicit Seismic Risk of Code-Conforming Structures) Project
- Commentary: Promoting Health and Well-being in Pediatric Primary Care Settings: Using Health and Behavior Codes at Routine Well-child Visits
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.