Spotlight on the National LGBT Cancer Network: Advocating for Inclusive Care

In the early 2000s, Liz Margolies, LCSW, a New York City–based therapist and LGBT political activist, lost four of her closest friends — all lesbians — to ovarian cancer. She did some reading and determined that this cluster of deaths was mostly a bad coincidence but that LGBT people do, on average, have an elevated risk for several types of cancer. Yet, there weren’t any organizations dedicated to cancer in this population, so she decided to start one.

In 2007, the National LGBT Cancer Network was born. At first, many questioned the need for such an organization, noting that cancer doesn’t discriminate. The problem, says Margolies, is that society does. “We have an increased risk of cancer not because our bodies are different, but because of behaviors we engage in as a result of stigma. We smoke more and drink more. And lesbians are more likely to have a high body mass index,” she says.

Additionally, LGBT individuals are less likely than their straight counterparts to keep up with standard cancer screening tests and seek out prompt help when symptoms arise, says Margolies.

“As a group, we don’t necessarily feel comfortable, welcome, or safe in the traditional healthcare system. We’re also less likely to have health insurance,” she explains. “It’s my guess that increased risk and lower screening rates add up to an increased incidence of cancer,” but adequate data to prove this is still lacking and needs to be acquired.