Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38954307›Full record

ArticleCancer causes & control : CCC2024

Challenges in collecting information on sexual orientation and gender identity for cancer patients: perspectives of hospital and central cancer registry abstractors.

J L Sorensen, M M West, A M Racila, O A Amao, B J Matt, S Bentler, A R Kahl, M E Charlton, A T Seaman, S H Nash

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer causes & control : CCC, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Collecting sexual orientation and gender identity data in cancer centers.Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Monographs · 2025
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

J L SorensenDepartment of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
M M WestState Health Registry of Iowa, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
A M RacilaCarver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
O A AmaoDepartment of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
B J MattState Health Registry of Iowa, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
S BentlerState Health Registry of Iowa, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
A R KahlState Health Registry of Iowa, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
M E CharltonDepartment of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
A T Seaman *Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
S H Nash *Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA. sarah-nash@uiowa.edu.

Funding

Viral VectorP30CA086862 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA · PI Christopher K Laubenthal · 2000 to 2026
$70.0M
Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa 3P30CA086862National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program HHSN26100005NCI NIH HHS P30 CA086862
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeSexual and gender minority (SGM) populations experience cancer treatment and survival disparities; however, inconsistent sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data collection within clinical settings and the cancer surveillance system precludes population-based research toward health equity for this population. This qualitative study examined how hospital and central registry abstractors receive and interact with SOGI information and the challenges that they face in doing so.

methodsWe conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 abstractors at five Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries, as well as seven abstractors from commission on cancer (CoC)-accredited hospital programs in Iowa. Interviews were transcribed, cleaned, and coded using a combination of a priori and emergent codes. These codes were then used to conduct a descriptive analysis and to identify domains across the interviews.

resultsInterviews revealed that abstractors had difficulty locating SOGI information in the medical record: this information was largely never recorded, and when included, was inconsistently/not uniformly located in the medical record. On occasion, abstractors reported situational recording of SOGI information when relevant to the patient's cancer diagnosis. Abstractors further noticed that, where reported, the source of SOGI information (i.e., patient, physician) is largely unknown.

conclusionEfforts are needed to ensure standardized implementation of the collection of SOGI variables within the clinical setting, such that this information can be collected by the central cancer registry system to support population-based equity research addressing LGBTQ + disparities.

Indexed as

Gender IdentityNeoplasmsRegistriesSexual and Gender MinoritiesData CollectionFemaleHospitalsHumansMaleQualitative ResearchSEER ProgramSexual BehaviorCancer surveillanceCentral cancer registryLGBTQ +Qualitative researchSOGI

Identifiers

PMID38954307
PMCPMC11636671

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.