#Oncology

A new focus in cancer care is highlighting an often neglected area: sexual health. While treatments advance and survival improves, many patients’ sexual health needs are still overlooked in research and clinical practice. This gap affects quality of life and recovery, underscoring the need for changes in patient care protocols worldwide, including Thailand, where social taboos and limited support persist.

Growing evidence shows sexual health is closely tied to overall physical and emotional well-being. In discussions with clinicians, it’s clear there are substantial gaps in support for sexual health during and after cancer treatment. Surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation can cause sexual dysfunction and changes in body image, adding to the distress of diagnosis.

A new focus in cancer care is emerging, shining a light on an often neglected aspect of patient well-being: sexual health. Recent discussions among medical professionals highlight that, while cancer treatments have advanced and survival rates are improving, the sexual health needs of patients are still frequently overlooked in both research and clinical practice. This oversight has a profound impact on quality of life and recovery, underscoring an urgent need for change in patient care protocols around the world—including Thailand, where taboos around sexual health and limited support services persist.

A growing body of research and expert commentary shows a global, including Thai, need: sexual health support is often unmet for people living with and beyond cancer. As treatments improve and survival rises, quality of life—especially intimate wellbeing—becomes a crucial part of care. Medical professionals in Thailand and abroad urge clinicians, patients, and policymakers to treat sexual health as an essential component of cancer care, not a side issue.

Cancer touches every facet of life, and sexual health is particularly vulnerable to disruption. A psychologist from a leading international medical center explains that sexual well-being is connected to emotional and physical recovery during diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Yet doctors frequently overlook these conversations, even as Thai and global studies show most patients experience some sexual health concern during their cancer journey.

New research reinforces that regular physical activity can reduce cancer risk, bolster treatment effectiveness, and improve quality of life for survivors. For Thai readers—whether patients, caregivers, or prevention-minded individuals—these findings are reshaping medical advice and public health approaches across the Kingdom.

Thai families have long valued activity for “สุขภาพดี” (good health), but cancer has often been seen as a domain where rest is prudent. Emerging global and local studies challenge this view. In insights shared by cancer rehabilitation specialists, exercise helps survivors manage side effects, regulate hormones, lower inflammation, and strengthen immunity—contributing to better outcomes and longer, healthier lives.

A surge of cutting-edge research is underscoring the transformative effects of exercise in both fighting cancer and supporting recovery, with new evidence suggesting that physical activity can meaningfully reduce cancer risk, improve the efficacy of treatments, and elevate survivors’ quality of life. These findings are especially relevant for Thais navigating cancer—whether as patients, caregivers, or those seeking to prevent the disease—prompting a shift in both medical advice and public health approaches in the Kingdom.

Recent research and expert statements have highlighted an often silent struggle faced by cancer patients worldwide—including here in Thailand: the significant unmet need for sexual health support during and after cancer treatment. As treatments improve and survival rates rise, the quality of life, especially intimate wellbeing, has emerged as an urgent concern for many survivors and their families. Medical professionals from the Cleveland Clinic and Thai academic circles now urge healthcare providers, patients, and policy-makers to recognize sexual health as an integral part of cancer care—one that is too often neglected, misunderstood, or left unaddressed (Cleveland Clinic, 2024; J Med Assoc Thai PDF).

A major new report brings much-needed relief to the global cancer community, revealing that advanced cancer diagnoses in the United States—which spiked during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic—have now returned to levels seen before the global crisis. Published Monday in the journal Cancer, the study offers a broad analysis of U.S. cancer statistics, addressing widespread fears that disruptions to screening during the pandemic would drive a lasting increase in late-stage cancer cases and, ultimately, higher death rates (AP News).

A major new analysis offers relief to the global cancer community: advanced cancer diagnoses in the United States have largely returned to pre-pandemic levels after a spike during the COVID-19 crisis. The study, published in Cancer, examined U.S. cancer statistics and found that disruptions to screening did not cause a lasting rise in late-stage cancers or cancer deaths. This insight provides guidance for policymakers and health planners in Thailand as the country redoubles its screening efforts.

A landmark international study suggests medical cannabis may support cancer treatment, potentially slowing disease progression and improving quality of life for patients. Described as the largest investigation to date, the research tracked thousands of cancer patients prescribed cannabis-based medicines as part of their care. While results are encouraging, experts caution that longer, controlled studies are needed to confirm cause and effect and determine optimal dosing. Data from leading medical centers and public health researchers indicates significant relief from pain, nausea, and anxiety, alongside improvements in quality of life for some participants.

A groundbreaking new study has added weight to the growing evidence that medical cannabis could play an important role in the fight against cancer, capturing international attention this week. The research, described as the largest-ever investigation into medical cannabis and cancer outcomes, found that certain cannabis-based medicines may help slow disease progression and improve quality of life for people diagnosed with cancer. Published results have sparked hope among patients, clinicians, and medical researchers globally—including in Thailand, where conversations around both cannabis regulation and cancer care remain highly relevant. [Source: The Guardian]