Onkológia 2/2026

Physiotherapy in oncological patients with pelvic floor dysfunction: integration body awarness and return to sexuality

This paper presents a comprehensive physiotherapy approach to pelvic floor dysfunction in male and female oncological patients. The text is conceived as a narrative review enriched by the author’s clinical experience and integrates functional anatomy, regulation of intra-abdominal pressure, manual therapy, scar and adhesion management, targeted re-education, individualized pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT), biofeedback, electrical stimulation, and work with body awareness and autonomic nervous system regulation. Available evidence and clinical practice show that isolated pelvic floor strengthening is insufficient, as cancer survivors often present with changes in tissue quality, dysregulation of muscle tone, impaired breath-pressure coordination, pain, and sexual dysfunction. A multimodal physiotherapy approach may improve continence, pain, quality of life, and sexual function, while effective therapy has to be individualized, applicable to both sexes, and biopsychosocially grounded.

Keywords: pelvic floor, oncology, scar, adhesions, biofeedback, electrical stimulation, sexuality, nervous system regulation