Editorial : cancer prevention, treatment and survivorship in the LGBTQIA community

Sexuality and gender minorities (SGM), including those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+), constitute a growing and underserved population in the realm of cancer care. This community faces a greater burden of cancer and encounters distinctive psychosocial challenges. These challenges include elevated rates of cancer-related distress and sexual concerns, reduced quality of life (QOL), and diminished support from their biological families, when compared to non-LGBTQI+ individuals with cancer and their caregivers. Concurrently, LGBTQI+ individuals also experience heightened dissatisfaction with cancer healthcare, which encompasses difficulties in communication with healthcare professionals (HCPs), barriers in accessing cancer services, and a lack of LGBTQI+-inclusive cancer information or support. Revealing their sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI) to HCPs is a significant source of distress due to concerns about potential hostility or cis-heteronormative biases that might result in substandard care. However, if SOGI is not disclosed, LGBTQI+ individuals with cancer are more likely to report unmet needs, a sense of invisibility, dissatisfaction with care, and poor psychological well-being.