Pelvic cancers: More likely to cause sexual dysfunction than are other cancers

Men with cancer in their pelvic area are more likely than are men with other cancers to report difficulty resuming sex after cancer treatment.

Sexual side effects are most common after treatment for:

• Bladder cancer
• Colon cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Rectal cancer

Older men are more likely to experience sexual dysfunction after cancer treatment. That's because most older men, including those who haven't had cancer, will experience difficulty with sex at some time.

So older men who've had cancer treatment may experience sexual side effects related to aging rather than to treatment. Or they may find that cancer treatment accelerates the sexual side effects associated with normal aging.