, /PRNewswire/ -- The is partnering with (WSU) School of Medicine, the , and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to bring attention to the unique needs of cancer survivors and their caregivers in the LGBTQ+ community. The idea for this work came from LGBTQ+ stakeholder partners, who identified improving the well-being of cancer caregivers as a top priority for research and interventions. Now, the investigators are soliciting input from LGBTQ+ cancer survivors and caregivers from across the country.
Investigators hope to recruit at least 48 people to participate in focus groups. "Previous research has shown that LGBTQ+ individuals with cancer and their loved ones who act as informal caregivers experience higher levels of psychological distress and less access to appropriate psychosocial care compared with their heterosexual and cis-gendered counterparts," said , Ph.D.
, MPP, member at Karmanos, and associate professor in the WSU School of Medicine Department of Oncology. "As we focus on the importance of what has come from previous research and with the priorities of our LGBTQ+ stakeholder partners, we have identified an area of research we need to explore further." Dr.
Hastert's co-investigator is , Ph.D., MPH, associate professor in the Medical Center Departments of Surgery and Psychiatry in .
The two received funding from the National Cancer Institute to adapt an existing intervention (the FOCUS Program) to improve the quality of life among people with cancer and their c.
