Hidden Patients, Hidden Partners: Prostate Cancer Care for Gay and Bisexual Men

Abstract

Research and clinical practice efforts to improve outcomes for men with prostate cancer have largely ignored the unique social support circumstances of gay and bisexual men (GBM), leading to a gap in the literature regarding social support needs of GBM with prostate cancer. Capistrant et al. (2018) addressed this gap by using survey data to examine social support and quality of life in GBM with prostate cancer. Their work provides insights about how nurses can make changes through research and clinical care to better treat GBM with prostate cancer.

Recent research on the social network concept and cancer

“…The names of 13 individual cancer types were specified in the studies, of which breast cancer received the most attention. Many studies, 3,4,8,9,11,12,14,16,17,19,23,33,36,37,41,42,44,45,49,50,53,56,59,[64][65][66]68,72,74] Prostate 14% [5,8,14,16,20], [51] (prostate vs. other), [56] (and other male reproductive), [58] (review), [60,66,73,74] Gynecological 9% [14,16] (uterine), [32] (ovarian vs./others), [36] (cervical), [55] (cervical), [56,62,66] Colorectal/colon/bowel 9%…”

“…are used when a characteristic is suggested by not clearly stated in a manuscript. ], [15] (review), [16,18,19,24], [26] (social media), [30], [31 && ] (review), [35] (social integration), [36,45], [46] (needs returning to work), [48], [50] (changing relationships), [51] (needs for informal support), [52] (roles), [53] (perceived), [58] (information seeking; review), [60] (isolation), [62] (perceived support, alienation), [62], [63] (review), [68] (social roles, social support), [69] (social support; review), [74] Quality of life 14% [5,8], [14] (social/family wellbeing), [22,25], [33] (life satisfaction), [36,41,42], [48] (social/family wellbeing), [49,51,68,73] Mental health 19% [8] (distress), [10 && ], [11] (depression, alcohol), [32] (depression), [33] (depression, anxiety), [34] (distress, burden),…”

“…] (timely surgery), [3] (algorithm for physician networks), [11] (adherence), [25] (adherence), [28] (treatment patterns), [59] (screening), [63] (screening; review), [ ] (virality of info), [34], [36] (knowledge), [37], [56] (social media messages), [57] (social media accuracy), [71] (academic productivity), [72] (academic collaboration) All studies using dyadic data (measured ties between any two entities) are marked with an underline. Social support 43% [4,5], [6] (youth; review), [8,9], [10 && ] (network index), [11], [15] (review), [16,18,19,22,24,25], [31 && ] (review), [32,33,40,41], [42] (partners), [44,45,[49][50][51][52][53]61,64,66,68], [69] (review),…”

“…As this review is about network research in the field of cancer as it relates to patients, we necessarily cover outcomes in addition to morbidity and mortality, and thus include prevention, quality of life, medical activities, etc. In fact, of the 13 distinct outcome categories represented in the 74 articles, patient support, quality of life, and mental health either Personal /egocentric network 48% [1,4,5], [6] (youth; review), [7,8,9], [10 && ] (full), [11,14], [15] (review), [17,18?,19?,22,25], [31 && ] (review), [33] (of children of patients), [34] (of caregivers), [36,41,44,45,[49][50][51][52][53][59][60][61][62], [63] (review), [64][65][66], [67] (review), [69] (review), [73] Social media -open 24% [16,23?], [26] (review), [27] (review), [29 && ,30], [31 && ] (review), [37?], [43,46?,56,57], [67] (review) Social media -closed 9% [31 && ] (review), [37,38,39?,43,47], [55] (test platform), [67]...…”

“We Just Take Care of Each Other”: Navigating ‘Chosen Family’ in the Context of Health, Illness, and the Mutual Provision of Care amongst Queer and Transgender Young Adults

“…In fact, Weston’s investigation was initially inspired by the question of mutual aid during and after the emergence of the HIV/AIDS epidemic [ 4 ]. When families of origin rejected responsibility for end-of-life care of terminally ill people living with HIV (PLWH), gay and lesbian patients were cared for primarily by friends [ 6 ]. Such an act of custodianship elevated the relationship from friendship to something more; an iteration of family.…”