Discrimination, and the chronic stress it causes, have been identified as key drivers of heightened cancer risks among LGBTQ+ communities in a pioneering new report from the American Cancer Society. The first-of-its-kind study found LGBTQ+ people face a disproportionate burden of the disease, with a higher incidence of certain cancers and later-stage diagnoses. The ACS has begun a campaign to increase early detection screening and is now calling on U.S. clinicians to step up their level of care by acknowledging — and fixing — discriminatory medical practices which leave marginalized groups behind.
The ACS report, published in the journal Cancer, arrived the same day as a Pride Month proclamation from the White House. In his May 31 speech, President Joe Biden laid out a series of health-focused initiatives aimed at LGBTQ+ communities — including new anti-discrimination rules for health care providers, expanded mental health resources, and new training programs through the Department of Health and Human Services.
