{"id":34624,"date":"2023-06-23T09:30:59","date_gmt":"2023-06-23T09:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/?p=25846"},"modified":"2024-11-03T15:12:27","modified_gmt":"2024-11-03T15:12:27","slug":"pride-2023-taking-on-the-inequalities-in-lgbtq-cancer-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/pride-2023-taking-on-the-inequalities-in-lgbtq-cancer-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Pride 2023: Taking on the inequalities in LGBTQ+ cancer care"},"content":{"rendered":"
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No matter our gender, income, race or sexuality, we\u2019re all made up of cells. And, because we\u2019re all made up of cells, we can all develop cancer. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Everyone\u2019s individual cancer risk might be slightly different, but the risk itself is part of what makes us human. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Health inequalities<\/span><\/a> skew that. They mean some of us are exposed to more risk factors for developing cancer. Others get more of the care and attention needed to prevent and treat it.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

That causes a particular problem for the LGBTQ+ community. Inequalities can increase their cancer risk and shape their experience of everything from screening and treatment to end of life care.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Slowly but surely, charities, research institutes and health providers across the UK are changing that. Read on to find out how.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

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Interested in hearing direct from the experts?<\/p>\n

The next episode of That Cancer Conversation<\/a> is all about improving cancer care and cancer research for LGBTQ+ patients.<\/p>\n

Subscribe now \u2013 on Apple Podcasts<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Spotify<\/span><\/a> or<\/span> wherever you get your podcasts \u2013<\/span> to hear it first!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Training doctors in inclusive cancer care<\/h2>\n

The LGBTQ+ cancer charity Live Through This <\/span>provides webinars<\/span><\/a> to help healthcare professionals understand the needs of LGBTQ+ patients. They\u2019re also developing <\/span>a new course in inclusive cancer care<\/span><\/a> with Guy\u2019s Cancer Academy.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019re excited about that. Doctors want to provide the best care for all their patients. But they might not always know how to offer it. A 2019 study found that, while most non-surgical cancer doctors feel comfortable treating LGBTQ+ patients, very few of them routinely ask about sexual orientation (5%), gender identity (3%) and preferred pronoun use (2%). <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, <\/span>comfortable doctors don\u2019t equal comfortable patients<\/span><\/a>. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhile these doctors felt that they were treating everyone equally, they weren\u2019t necessarily treating them equitably, and catering to their needs specifically,\u201d explains lead author Dr Alison Berner, a cancer doctor (oncologist) who also specialises in adult gender identity medicine.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Equality and equity<\/h3>\n