A physical therapy program to treat late-effect vaginal stenosis in gynecological cancer survivors: An interventional study

To evaluate the effect of a physical therapy program on vaginal length and diameter, pelvic floor strength, and quality of life among gynecological cancer survivors suffering from late-effect vaginal stenosis.

Thirty-four women who were previously diagnosed with gynecological cancer and experiencing vaginal stenosis, at least 12 months post-oncological treatment, were enrolled. The intervention program consisted of ten weeks of individualized weekly sessions, each lasting 50 min, involving perineal massage, progressive vaginal dilation, and pelvic floor exercises. Pre- and post-treatment evaluations included assessments of pelvic floor muscle strength through digital palpation, measurements of vaginal length and diameter using a silicone vaginal dilator, and classification of stenosis according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE v5.0). Health-related quality of life was assessed using the FACT-G and FACT-Cx questionnaires.

Twenty-one women completed the physical therapy program. There was a significant increase in vaginal length (p < 0.001), vaginal diameter (p < 0.001) and improvement in pelvic floor muscle strength (p < 0.001), with a large effect size (r = 0.81), a medium effect size (r = -0.77) and a medium effect size (r = -0.78), respectively. This resulted in resolution of vaginal stenosis in 14 participants (66.7%) following intervention. Mean scores for FACT-Cx and FACIT-G, encompassing total scores and physical, social, and functional well-being domains, increased significantly after the treatment.

The proposed physical therapy program demonstrated positive effects on vaginal stenosis, pelvic floor muscle strength and health-related quality of life in gynecological cancer survivors.