Are Gay Men More at Risk for Cancer?

Data on cancer survivorship among lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations are lacking, prompting a new study to examine the prevalence of survival and patients’ self-reported health by sexual orientation.

Ulrike Boehmer, of the Boston University School of Public Health, and colleagues studied three years of responses to the California Health Interview survey, which included more than 120,000 adult residents. As part of the survey, participants were asked if they had ever been diagnosed with cancer and whether they identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual or heterosexual.

Of 51,000 male respondents, 3,700 reported an adult cancer diagnosis. More than 8 percent of gay men reported a history of cancer, compared with 5 percent for straight men - even after the team controlled for differences in race, age, and income.

Roughly 7,300 of the 71,000 female respondents had been diagnosed with cancer, though overall cancer rates did not differ among straight, lesbian or bisexual women. Of female cancer survivors, however, lesbians and bisexuals were more likely to report only fair or poor health.

Boehmer suggested that gay men’s higher rates of HIV may be related to their increased risk of cancer, though the researchers did not specifically study that possibility. Regardless, “Because more gay men report as cancer survivors, we need foremost programs for gay men that focus on primary cancer prevention and early cancer detection,” she said.

“Because more lesbian and bisexual women than heterosexual women with cancer report that they are in poor health, we need foremost programs and services that improve the well-being of lesbian and bisexual cancer survivors,” said Boehmer.

The study, “Cancer Survivorship and Sexual Orientation,” was published early online in the journal Cancer (2011; doi:10.1002/cncr.25950).

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


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