To lower LGBTQ people's cancer risk, educate patients – and doctors | Gwendolyn Quinn & Matthew B Schabath

Members of those communities may be uncomfortable sharing their sexual orientation with doctors. And doctors lack comprehensive statistics on their risk

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer/questioning (LGBTQ) people may be at greater risk for seven different cancers than heterosexual and gender-aligned folks are, and a lot of the discrepancy is due to misinformation and lack of regular healthcare in those communities.

These factors increase the likelihood that LGBTQ people, who make up some 12% of the population, will avoid important cancer screenings, or be unaware that they are necessary. The upshot is that anal, breast, cervical, colorectal, endometrial, lung and prostate cancers may disproportionately affect the LGBTQ community. For example, available data suggest the risk of dying from breast cancer is 3.2 times higher in lesbian women compared to heterosexual women.