Zamani on Disparities in Cancer Care Among Patients of Sexual/Gender Minority

Shahrzad A. Zamani, graduate student researcher, Moffit Cancer Center, discusses the prevalence of cancer disparities in patients with cancer in sexual and gender minority populations.

Although significant work has been dedicated to addressing disparities in cancer care based on racial/ethnic, social, geographic, and economical factors, disparities related to sexual orientation and gender identity remain an under-investigated area. In a study presented at the 2023 AACR Annual Meeting, Zamani and colleagues aimed to identify differences in demographics, risk factors, clinical characteristics, and outcomes between patient of a sexual and gender minority compared with those who do not fall into one of these minorities. Investigators utilized a large dataset to examine age, gender, race, and ethnicity to better understand health disparities among the sexual and gender minority populations, Zamani explains.

One of the most significant findings was the difference in age for patients with cancer in a sexual and gender minority population, who had a mean age of 56 years, vs 62.3 years for patients not in a sexual and gender minority population, Zamani adds. Additionally, investigators found that race and ethnicity are also intersectional factors between the overall underserved population and the sexual and gender minority patient population, Zamani continues.

Zamani and colleagues concluded that the disparities between sexual and gender minority populations and non–sexual and gender minority populations were identified for only 5 years of data collection, pointing to the glaring existence of differences between the groups. Study authors concluded that results from this study could help inform strategies to create tailored interventions to improve access to care and the management of patients from sexual and gender minority populations.