Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic created new challenges for cancer patients and caregivers. Lit... more Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic created new challenges for cancer patients and caregivers. Little is known about the confluence of the pandemic and people with multiple marginalized identities, such as those in the Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) community. Methods We conducted a mixed-methods pilot study using semi-structured interviews to elicit experiences of cancer among a diverse population of SGM patients and caregivers and a matched set of cisgender heterosexual (cishet) individuals. Here, we present qualitative findings focused on caregiver experiences as ascertained from the broader study. Results We discovered differences between SGM and cishet caregiving experiences, with SGM caregivers reporting less comfort in the cancer center environment; dissatisfaction with patient-provider communication; feeling excluded from their loved ones' care; and increased social isolation resulting from the caregiver experience. SGM and cishet caregivers described the detrimental impact of the pandemic. Conclusion Our data suggest SGM caregivers experience additional burdens to cancer caregiving when compared to cishet peers. Although SGM and cishet caregivers reported challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges appeared greater and more acute for SGM caregivers. Pandemic-related findings point to overall gaps in SGM cancer caregiver supports that may be remedied by additional research and targeted intervention development.
For sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations, minority stress exacerbates the physical and em... more For sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations, minority stress exacerbates the physical and emotional challenges of cancer diagnosis, treatment and survivorship; mitigating these effects will require improved understanding of SGM individuals’ cancer experiences both within and beyond the clinic. Among SGM cancer health disparities are increased stress surrounding diagnosis and treatment and poorer post-treatment mental and overall health. Emotional distress accompanying significant or chronic diseases such as cancer results in part from the threat illness poses to personal identity, often leading to disruption and subsequent realignment of one’s self-conception to a “new normal” as a cancer patient or cancer survivor. However, the process of aligning multiple stigmatized identities, as when SGM individuals experience cancer, is relatively unexplored. To this end, transcripts of semi-structured interviews with 11 SGM cancer patients and 8 cisgender, heterosexual (CH) patients matc...
(-)-Cannabidiol [(-)-CBD] has recently gained prominence as a treatment for neuro-inflammation an... more (-)-Cannabidiol [(-)-CBD] has recently gained prominence as a treatment for neuro-inflammation and other neurodegenerative disorders; interest is also developing in its synthetic enantiomer, (+)-CBD, which has a higher affinity to CB1 / CB2 receptors than the natural stereoisomer. We have developed an inexpensive, stereoselective route to access ent-CBD derivatives using (+)-carvone as a starting material. In addition to (+)-CBD, we report the first syntheses of (+)-cannabidivarin, (+)-cannabidiphorol as well as C-6 / C-8 homologues.
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic created new challenges for cancer patients and caregivers. Lit... more Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic created new challenges for cancer patients and caregivers. Little is known about the confluence of the pandemic and people with multiple marginalized identities, such as those in the Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) community. Methods We conducted a mixed-methods pilot study using semi-structured interviews to elicit experiences of cancer among a diverse population of SGM patients and caregivers and a matched set of cisgender heterosexual (cishet) individuals. Here, we present qualitative findings focused on caregiver experiences as ascertained from the broader study. Results We discovered differences between SGM and cishet caregiving experiences, with SGM caregivers reporting less comfort in the cancer center environment; dissatisfaction with patient-provider communication; feeling excluded from their loved ones' care; and increased social isolation resulting from the caregiver experience. SGM and cishet caregivers described the detrimental impact of the pandemic. Conclusion Our data suggest SGM caregivers experience additional burdens to cancer caregiving when compared to cishet peers. Although SGM and cishet caregivers reported challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges appeared greater and more acute for SGM caregivers. Pandemic-related findings point to overall gaps in SGM cancer caregiver supports that may be remedied by additional research and targeted intervention development.
For sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations, minority stress exacerbates the physical and em... more For sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations, minority stress exacerbates the physical and emotional challenges of cancer diagnosis, treatment and survivorship; mitigating these effects will require improved understanding of SGM individuals’ cancer experiences both within and beyond the clinic. Among SGM cancer health disparities are increased stress surrounding diagnosis and treatment and poorer post-treatment mental and overall health. Emotional distress accompanying significant or chronic diseases such as cancer results in part from the threat illness poses to personal identity, often leading to disruption and subsequent realignment of one’s self-conception to a “new normal” as a cancer patient or cancer survivor. However, the process of aligning multiple stigmatized identities, as when SGM individuals experience cancer, is relatively unexplored. To this end, transcripts of semi-structured interviews with 11 SGM cancer patients and 8 cisgender, heterosexual (CH) patients matc...
(-)-Cannabidiol [(-)-CBD] has recently gained prominence as a treatment for neuro-inflammation an... more (-)-Cannabidiol [(-)-CBD] has recently gained prominence as a treatment for neuro-inflammation and other neurodegenerative disorders; interest is also developing in its synthetic enantiomer, (+)-CBD, which has a higher affinity to CB1 / CB2 receptors than the natural stereoisomer. We have developed an inexpensive, stereoselective route to access ent-CBD derivatives using (+)-carvone as a starting material. In addition to (+)-CBD, we report the first syntheses of (+)-cannabidivarin, (+)-cannabidiphorol as well as C-6 / C-8 homologues.
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Papers by Nina Dimauro