About 50% of LGBTQ+ patients and survivors of cancer may be concerned about facing discrimination in a health-care setting, according to a new survey from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). The new findings demonstrated that these concerns and experiences with discrimination may be creating barriers to receiving timely care that is vital to surviving cancer.
Background
ACS CAN estimated that there may be 152,000 new cancer cases and 50,000 cancer deaths among LGBTQ+ patients by the end of 2023. LGBTQ+ patients often face an unequal cancer burden, with higher rates of cancer incidence and later-stage diagnoses.
“If we are to achieve our vision of ending cancer as we know it for everyone, we must continue to identify and relentlessly pursue public policies that address barriers to care for LGBTQ+ [patients],” emphasized Lisa A. Lacasse, MBA, President of ACS CAN. “The cost of doing nothing is delayed cancer diagnosis and care, which could result in avoidable deaths—an unconscionable reality that ACS CAN is fighting to prevent,” she added.
Study Methods and Results
In the latest Survivor Views survey, researchers asked 200 LGBTQ+ patients with cancer and cancer survivors across the United States—who received treatment within the last 7 years—to answer questions regarding cancer care and discrimination. The researchers found that over 33% of the respondents experienced discrimination in a health-care setting as a result of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and 75% of those who reported experiencing discrimination felt it impacted their quality of care.
Some of the forms of discrimination the respondents experienced included feeling they were not taken seriously, not being treated with respect, or that they were treated differently because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Among the respondents, Hispanic patients (71%), Black patients (44%), and those living in the South (42%) were the most likely to report experiencing discrimination based on their LGBTQ+ identity.
Additionally, the researchers discovered that 24% of the respondents faced barriers to getting health care or delays in getting the care they needed because of their sexuality or gender identification. Patients living in the South (30%) and Midwest (25%) were more likely to report facing a barrier to care as a result of their orientation or gender identity, whereas those living in the Northeast (18%) and West (14%) were less likely to report these barriers. Non-White LGBTQ+ patients (36%)—particularly Black (44%) and Hispanic (45%) LGBTQ+ patients—were also more likely to have experienced this type of discrimination as a barrier than White LGBTQ+ patients (21%).
As a result of concerns about discrimination impacting their care, 48% of the LGBTQ+ patients surveyed chose not to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity to their health-care providers, and 26% of them avoided seeking care because of concerns about discrimination. Further, 58% of the respondents expressed concern about the political climate impacting their ability to get health care and 49% of them were concerned that health-care providers may feel it is too risky to treat them because of laws passed in the state where they practice.
ACS CAN is currently advocating for federal, state, and local public policies to reduce cancer-related disparities, remove barriers to care, and improve health outcomes for all patients with cancer. Some of these policies include:
- Advocating to maintain the provision of the Affordable Care Act that ensures broad protections against discrimination for LGBTQ+ patients in health-care services
- Actively opposing legislation and regulations that include “conscience clauses”
- Advocating to ensure that all eligible patients can access affordable, comprehensive health insurance through Medicaid expansion
- Supporting the Respect for Marriage Act—which ensures marriage equality for same-sex couples and their families and protects their ability to access employer health insurance.
Conclusions
“No one should be disadvantaged when facing a cancer diagnosis because of their sexual orientation, their gender identity, the color of their skin, or where they live,” said Ms. Lacasse. “Ensuring that all cancer patients and survivors receive high quality, respectful, and timely care is important to saving more lives from this disease,” she concluded.
Disclosure: For full results from the survey, visit fightcancer.org.
