Symposia and Paper Abstracts

PURPOSE: Gender medicine is a sub-specialty that has gained increased recognition in healthcare internationally.The impetus for understanding gender as a complex biopsychosocial system has been driven primarily by a large number of recent studies.In 2001, the influential IOM Report, Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health: Does Sex Matter?established gender medicine as a field and documented the robust implications for health.The purpose of this presentation is to give a brief overview, current data in the field of sex and gender medicine and to outline potential areas for research in psychosocial oncology.METHODS: A comprehensive literature review was conducted of the current state of sex and gender medicine, including same and opposite sex relationships.In addition, cross-sectional data was collected (2009 to 2015) from adult outpatients at the City of Hope, a NCI CCC.Each new patient was asked to complete a validated touch screen biopsychosocial screening instrument either in English, Spanish and more recently Chinese, as the standard of clinical care.RESULTS: Depending on their gender, patients reported (N = 8,857) different levels of biopsychosocial distress and requests for assistance.Females (mean = 10.1)requested to talk with a member of the team significantly more than males (mean = 6.1), p < .05.The global data to be presented will give insight into how men and women affected by cancer manifest distress, request assistance and educational materials.CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare professionals have been remiss in appreciating the importance of research, tailoring clinical care, and educating ourselves about the rich diversity inherit in gender and sexual identity.Research Implications: The literature suggests that females may be more willing than males to report distress, thus it is unclear if these findings show true gender differences or simple response bias.Future research studies are suggested to further explore gender differences in distress.Clinical Implications: This information should be used to address immediate concerns and to develop ongoing educational programs that are carefully tailored, integrated and timed with medical care.