Leading physician on female cancers and a uterine cancer patient turn a “whispered” conversation into steps toward intimacy.
Shows such as “Sex and the City” have made the topic of sex more acceptable, but that hasn’t included an honest dialog on sex and cancer, an often unstated topic of interest to an American woman who faces a 37.5 percent risk of developing cancer over her lifetime. In 2017 alone it is estimated that more than 850,000 women will be diagnosed with cancer in the United States.
That silence around the sexual effect of cancer ends on July 8, 2017, when Sex and Cancer: Love, Intimacy and Romance After Diagnosis by Dr. Saketh Guntupalli and Maryann Karinch is published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
“Conversations about restoring intimacy after cancer had been held in whispers,” said Karinch, uterine cancer survivor and author of 26 books, most of which address human health and behavior. “Dr. Guntupalli and I wanted to turn up the volume, giving proven solutions and real hope to couples affected by cancer.”
The book frankly addresses how to heal from cancer while retaining, or regaining, intimacy and quality in a loving relationship. Sex and Cancer is a guidebook to sexual health after any cancer.
This is an inspirational book that shares real life stories, research and advice about relationships and overcoming sexual dysfunction after cancer.Dr. Saketh Guntupalli
Dr. Guntupalli, a nationally renowned gynecologic oncologist, medical school professor and researcher at the University of Colorado Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology noted that sexual dysfunction can be caused by both physical or psychological reasons and affects up to 70 percent of women with cancer.
The authors drew on Dr. Guntupalli’s research on the sexual effects of chemotherapy in women with gynecologic cancers. They also drew on the questionnaire his patients filled out about their sexual experiences during and after treatment, as well as talking with sex therapists and physical therapists doing research on this topic.
The book’s intimate, personal tone is enhanced by the stories throughout of women who have experienced these struggles on their own and share their advice. One patient who faced extreme surgeries to save her life explains how she and her husband discovered a “new normal” that involved a broad array of exercises in intimacy.
The couple had to go online and to other sources to piece together answers. But now women and couples like them can turn to this book as the source to get much-needed advice and tips from others who have navigated these concerns before.
Sex and Cancer will be a must-read book for millions of individuals and couples who deserve a normal life of sex and intimacy following the trials of cancer.
“Dr. Guntupalli masterfully tackles the complex implications for love and intimacy that are too often overlooked and under discussed when it comes to cancer,” said Dr. Bill Frist, a nationally recognized transplant surgeon and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader. “Regaining intimacy accelerates the path to regaining health, and this book is an insightful, powerful guide to doing exactly that.”
Media resources
Media Note: Please join us for the book release party on Saturday, July 29, from 5-8 p.m. at the Dorchester Hotel in downtown Denver. Dr. Saketh Guntupalli, Maryann Karinch, and patients and experts who are featured in the book will be available for interviews. Please call the media contact if you would like to set up an interview at another time.
- About Sexual Health & Gynecologic Cancer
- Sex and Cancer: Intimacy, Romance, and Love after Diagnosis and Treatment pre-order on Amazon.com
- Media Kit
About the Authors
Dr. Saketh Guntupalli
Saketh Guntupalli, M.D., FACS, FACOG, is a gynecologic oncologist at the University of Colorado, where he serves as vice chairman for clinical affairs and quality in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver.
Drawing on real patient cases, extensive research on sexual dysfunction and his honest tips for real women, Dr. Guntupalli wrote the book Sex and Cancer: Love, Intimacy and Romance After Diagnosis in collaboration with one of his patients to help women heal, retain or regain intimacy and pursue a better quality of life and love after cancer.
Dr. Guntupalli is also the principal investigator for the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG)/NRG research consortium for the University of Colorado and serves as the director of the gynecologic oncology fellowship program. Board certified in gynecologic oncology and obstetrics & gynecology, he is the recipient of two large grants to examine sexual dysfunction in women with cancer, as well as post-operative quality outcomes.
He also serves as director for the Placenta Accreta Response Team (PART) at the University of Colorado Hospital. He has a focused interest in minimally invasive surgery, such as robotics and laparoscopy, as well as novel, molecular therapeutics in the treatment of gynecologic cancers.
He has authored over 40 clinical papers in journals such as the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecologic Oncology, and the International Journal of Gynecologic Oncology.
Maryann Karinch
Maryann Karinch is the author of 26 books, most of which focus on human health and behavior. Among them are The Wandering Mind, a book about dissociation that she co-authored with psychiatrist John Biever, and Forging Healthy Connections, about the healing power of relationships that she co-authored with marriage and family therapist Trevor Crow Mullineaux.
In recognition of her work as a dedicated explorer of the psyche and mind-body interaction, The Explorers Club elected her to membership in 2010. She is also a member of The Authors Guild. In 2004, Karinch founded The Rudy Agency, a literary agency representing fiction and nonfiction.
Among the international media outlets that have covered Karinch’s human behavior work are ABC News, The Boston Globe, Fast Company, Huffington Post, Washington Post and NPR. She has also taught interpersonal skills, including lie detection and negotiation, to law enforcement professionals and a variety of business audiences.
Maryann met Dr. Guntupalli because she was his patient. She is one of his “thrivers.”
About University of Colorado Gynecologic Oncology
University of Colorado Gynecologic Oncology (CU Gyn Onc) is dedicated to treating, curing and providing support for women with gynecologic cancers or gynecological surgical needs, including the complex cases other doctors are not able to treat. CU Gyn Onc is the largest board-certified surgical gynecologic oncology team in Colorado and the only National Comprehensive Cancer Network center in the Rocky Mountain region. The practice is part of the University of Colorado Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and has locations at the CU Cancer Center in Aurora and at the Lone Tree Health Center. Learn more at cancer.coloradowomenshealth.com.