Improving LGBTIQA+ cancer care across the NEMICS region

People who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual and other sexual and gender minority communities (LGBTIQA+) may be at greater risk of developing cancer and are likely to have poorer outcomes.

There is limited understanding of the barriers and enablers to high quality cancer care for the Victorian LGBTIQA+ community.

A recent series of reports by NEMICS, included:

• An examination of cancer policy sourced from throughout Australia to understand LGBTIQA+ acknowledgment, inclusion, and targeted action within policy documents.
• An examination of LGBTIQA+ cancer care research to understand the published evidence of experience, barriers, facilitators, and recommendations.
• An examination of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) identifiers in Victorian datasets.

This work identified a range of improvement priorities including the need for clinical leadership and consumer advocacy, introduction of data items and improved definitions within cancer datasets, better monitoring of distress, improving the treatment environment, and much more.