Getting c-literate: Bulboclitoris functional anatomy and its implications for radiotherapy.
Academic Article
Overview
abstract
For females with genitopelvic cancers, the impacts of radiotherapy on erectile tissue function and related sexual health outcomes are understudied. To inform more equitable research and clinical practice in radiotherapy, there is a need for education and a standardized approach to understand the bulboclitoris - the female erectile organ primarily responsible for arousal and orgasm. This topic discussion summarizes the literature and provides a multidisciplinary expert discussion of anatomic and physiologic considerations of the bulboclitoris within the biopsychosocial framework of female sexual function and in the context of radiotherapy. With input from anatomists, physiologists, pathologists, radiologists, radiation oncologists, and patient advocates, recommendations are provided to understand correlative functional bulboclitoris anatomy and histology, localization of bulboclitoris anatomy on CT and MR imaging, measurement of bulboclitoris-related sexual function outcomes, as well as the need for developing new dose-volume constraints to limit radiation toxicity and sexual dysfunction. These recommendations aim to promote collaborative scientific investigations related to the bulboclitoris in radiotherapy, which are crucial for generating fundamental evidence to advance prospective evaluation, prevention and mitigation strategies, to improve oncologic care and sexual health outcomes in individuals with a bulboclitoris.
