[Gender and sexual minorities: Unknowns in the cancer care pathway]

The French National Cancer Institute, in its ten-year roadmap, has defined an axis 4: "ensuring that progress benefits all". The Association francophone sur les soins oncologiques de support wished to take stock of cancer care for gender and sexual minorities. The authors, who have a sociological and oncological background, have gathered the main data from the French-language literature limited to sociological aspects. They address the definitions of sexual orientation, identity and practice, gender identity, expression and assignment, and the issue of intersex. They report on the concrete problems from patients' narratives. Little research has been done on cancer patients. Studies on children and young adolescents focus on other issues (harassment, discrimination, dropping out of school); those on the older persons show the invisibility of the issue. For adults, the organization of the care process is obscured by a purely psychiatric and technical medical approach. The relationship of trust is not established, and the terms and views used lead to delays and breaks in care. To remedy these shortcomings, the authors suggest that training efforts be made (for patients and caregivers), that community associations be supported, and that sociological and medical research be carried out, considering an approach by cancer pathology as well as by sexual or gender minority groups.