Cancer-related pain and sexual orientation and gender identity: an intersectional approach

Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2026 Feb 27. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-25-1764. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: We examined cancer-related pain in sexual and gender minorities (SGM) compared to heterosexual cisgender populations and evaluated sociodemographic factors within SGM and heterosexual cisgender cancer survivors.

METHODS: We combined 2014-2023 data of the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System from 23 states and Guam that administered the sexual orientation and gender identity module and the pain-specific cancer survivorship module. Our analytic sample consisted of 56,217 cancer survivors, of whom 1,655 identified as SGM.

RESULTS: Sexual minority cancer survivors reported twice or more the prevalence of cancer pain than heterosexual cisgender survivors, with gender minority cancer survivors reporting cancer pain most frequently (28%), followed by sexual minority women (17%), and sexual minority men (14%). Sociodemographic subgroups, consisting of younger, unmarried, not employed, and those with low income, are at increased risk of experiencing cancer pain.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings point to heterogeneity among sexual minority cancer survivors' prevalence of pain and additional efforts to characterize gender minorities' disparities in cancer pain.

IMPACT: There is an urgent need for evidence-based real-life clinical data characterization of SGM cancer pain disparities and efforts to reduce their cancer-related pain.

PMID:41757869 | DOI:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-25-1764