Segelman J, et al. - Via this prospective cohort study of women who had surgery for rectal cancer with or without radiotherapy (RT), researchers examined the effects of RT for rectal cancer on androgen levels in non-oophorectomized women and the association with female sexual desire. In 27 participants who had surgery alone (RT– group) and 98 who had preoperative RT and surgery (RT+ group), they assessed serum testosterone, free testosterone, androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) levels at baseline, after RT and 1 year after surgery. RT reception was correlated with a decrease in the levels of androgens predominantly derived from the ovaries in correlation, but with no change in androgens of mainly adrenal origin. Reduction in ovarian androgens seems to be correlated with reduced sexual desire.