Training essential to understand cancer risks, address barriers facing LGBTQ individuals

• Published in: HEM/ONC today Vol. 21; no. 21; pp. 7 - 9
• Main Author: Haviland, Kelly
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thorofare SLACK INCORPORATED 10.11.2020
• Subjects: Breast cancer; Disclosure; Education; Educational attainment; Funding; Gays & lesbians; Gender identity; Hormone replacement therapy; Lung cancer; Mammography; Medical screening; Minority & ethnic groups; Mortality; Patients; Population; Prostate; Public health; Sexual orientation; Surveillance; Transgender persons; Womens health; United States > US
• ISSN: 1526-0488

[...]the CDC's National Program for Cancer Registries, NCI's SEER program and the National Cancer Database do not routinely collect sexual orientation or gender identification (SOGI) cancer surveillance public health information. [...]limited national data exist for these populations. [...]of these disparate statistics, it becomes more evident that APPs should ask all patients about their sexual orientation and conduct organ inventories to ensure appropriate education about screening and prevention can be achieved. Barriers to cancer screening participation in these populations include: * prohibited gender identity and expression or being bisexual; * racial and ethnic minority status; * varying degrees of educational attainment; * financial insecurity; * lack of knowledge among both SGMs and health care providers; * nondisclosure of SOGI status to health care providers; * overall poor psychological distress/ coping; * feelings of gender dysphoria; * social isolation; * lack of cultural competency; * lack of trust and fear of discrimination; * low health engagement; * heteronormative assumptions by health care providers or unwelcoming environments; and * lack of national screening guidelines. Facilitators for cancer screening participation include older age; matched ethnicity/race among patients and their health care providers; life experiences; willingness; prior sexual activity history or abnormal Pap; having insurance, a higher income and employment; higher educational attainment; familial history of cancer; cultural competency; positive communication and teamwork; knowledge of screening guidelines; welcoming environments with partner inclusion; and legal protections.