Photo courtesy of the CDC
Doctor evaluating patient
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has issued recommendations addressing the needs of sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations with cancer.
The recommendations are designed to focus attention on the challenges facing the SGM community—including discrimination and greater risk of anxiety and depression, resulting in disparate care—and concrete steps that can help minimize health disparities among SGM individuals.
The recommendations were published in a policy statement in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
“Sexual and gender minorities face unique challenges related to cancer risk, discrimination, and other psychosocial issues,” said ASCO President Daniel F. Hayes, MD.
“Compounding these challenges is the fact that providers may have a lack of knowledge and sensitivity about the health risks and health needs facing their SGM patients.”
SGMs include individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (also referred to as those with differences in sex development).
ASCO’s policy statement notes that SGM populations bear a disproportionate cancer burden stemming from several factors, including:
- Lower rates of cancer screening, in part due to lower rates of insurance coverage, exclusion from traditional screening campaigns, and previous experience of discrimination in the healthcare system
- A hesitancy on the part of SGM patients to disclose their sexual orientation to providers due to a fear of stigmatization, which can create additional barriers to care.
ASCO’s statement calls for a coordinated effort to address health disparities among SGM populations, including:
- Increased patient access to culturally competent support services
- Expanded cancer prevention education for SGM individuals
- Robust policies prohibiting discrimination
- Adequate insurance coverage to meet the needs of SGM individuals affected by cancer
- Inclusion of SGM status as a required data element in cancer registries and clinical trials
- Increased focus on SGM populations in cancer research.
“Our objective was to raise awareness among oncology providers, patients, policy makers, and other stakeholders about the cancer care needs of SGM populations and the barriers that SGM individuals face in getting the highest-quality care,” said Jennifer J. Griggs, MD, lead author of the policy statement and a professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
“To address these barriers, a coordinated effort is needed to enhance education for patients and providers, to improve outreach and support, and to encourage productive policy and legislative action.”
