Monday Lunch Live
28 April 2025 (Video recording below)
Providing equitable and inclusive cancer care to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and/or queer (LGBTIQ+), requires a thorough understanding of their unique experiences and needs.
The Out with Cancer study uncovered critical insights from 430 LGBTIQ+ cancer survivors, 131 informal carers, and 357 healthcare professionals. The study also examined the websites of 61 Australian cancer organisations to assess their inclusivity.
The findings reveal alarming levels of distress among LGBTIQ+ cancer survivors - three to six times higher than the general cancer population, driven by discrimination, minority stress, and gaps in care. Despite these challenges, LGBTIQ+ individuals demonstrate incredible resilience through advocacy and community support.
Join this talk to explore the unique barriers and opportunities in cancer care, share key findings, and learn about the systemic changes informed by the study to improve the inclusivity of cancer care. The findings have been translated into practical resources for LGBTIQ+ people with cancer, their carers, and healthcare professionals.
Developed in collaboration with LGBTIQ+ people, LGBTIQ+ and cancer organisations, cancer clinicians, and researchers, these include resources from Cancer Council, Breast Cancer Network Australia, Canteen, and McGrath Foundation.
Actionable recommendations for improving cancer care at both individual and system levels, will also be discussed, to ensure cultural safety and inclusivity for LGBTIQ+ people and their carers in cancer care.
Chair
Professor Janette Perz
Director Translational Health Research Institute (THRI)
Janette Perz is a Professor in the Translational Health Research Institute at Western Sydney University. She researches in the field of reproductive and sexual health with a particular focus on gendered experiences, subjectivity and identity.
Speaker
Dr Rosalie Power
Research Fellow, Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University
Dr Power’s research focuses on marginalised population health, specialising in sexual health, disability and LGBTQ health and using arts-based, mixed-methods, and co-creation approaches. Dr Power served as a Research Associate on the Australian Research Council Linkage funded research project, The Out with Cancer Study, a four- year endeavour examining LGBTIQ+ peoples experiences of cancer. She is an Associate Editor of the journal Women’s Reproductive Health and a board member for the Australian Society for Psychosocial Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Society for Menstrual Cycle Research.
Literature
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Ussher, JM., Perz, J., Allison, K., Power, R., Hawkey, A., Dowsett, GW., Hickey, M., Parton, C., McDonald, F., Davis, I., Quinn, G., Boydell, K., Robinson, K., Chambers, S., Anazodo, A. Attitudes, knowledge and practice behaviours of oncology health care professionals towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) patients and their carers: A mixed-methods study. Patient Education and Counselling. 2022;105(7):2512-23. Epub 2022/01/10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2021.12.008
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Ussher, JM.,* Power, R.,* Perz, J., Hawkey, AJ., Allison, K. LGBTQI Inclusive Cancer Care: A Discourse Analytic Study of Health Care Professional, Patient and Carer Perspectives. Frontiers in Oncology. 2022;12:832657. Epub 2022/05/28. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2022.832657 *Joint first authorship.
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Power, R.,* Ussher, JM.,* Perz, J., Allison, K., Hawkey, AJ. "Surviving Discrimination by Pulling Together": LGBTQI Cancer Patient and Carer Experiences of Minority Stress and Social Support. Frontiers in Oncology. 2022;12:918016. Epub 2022/07/12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2022.918016 *Joint first authorship.
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Ussher, JM.,* Allison, K.,*, Perz, J., Power. R., & The Out with Cancer Study Team. LGBTQI Cancer Patients’ Quality of Life and Distress: A Comparison by Gender, Sexuality, Age and Cancer Type and Geographical Remoteness. Frontiers in Oncology. 2022; 12:873642 https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2022.873642 *Joint first authorship.
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Ussher, J., Power, R., Allison, K. A., Sperring, S., Parton, C., Perz, J., Davies, C., Hawkey, A. J., Robinson, K. H., Hickey, M., Anazodo, A., Ellis, C., & Cook, C. (2022). Reinforcing or Disrupting Gender Affirmation: The Impact of Cancer on Transgender Embodiment and Identity. Archives of Sexual Behavior, online ahead of press. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02530-9
Resource details
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