SurvivorNet.com: 5 Things the LGBTQ+ Community Needs to Know About Cancer Prevention
SurvivorNet.com recently interviewed Cedars-Sinai colorectal surgeon and cancer specialist Zuri Murrell, MD, about cancer prevention among LGBTQIA+ people.
A recent study by the American Cancer Society found that cancer risk is elevated among this group, in part, because certain risk factors—such as smoking, obesity and alcohol consumption—are more prevalent in this community.
Murrell, who was not involved with the study, told SurvivorNet.com that in addition to those risk factors, societal stressors often experienced by LGBTQIA+ people can negatively impact their health.
“It’s not that being part of that community causes you to innately want to drink or smoke, but it’s how you are treated in this society,” he said. “So that’s something that is very important and why we kind of have to consider all these things.”
Murrell told SurvivorNet.com that the human papillomavirus (HPV) also is a risk factor for cancer, especially among gay and bisexual men.
He said that getting vaccinated against HPV and other related cancers is “the biggest thing to do," adding that “hopefully this will be a thing of the past.”
Murrell told SurvivorNet.com that trust in healthcare professionals among the LGBTQIA+ community is critical.
“If you don’t feel like you can trust your doctor, you need to find another one,” he said. “Be your own healthcare advocate. What does that mean? It means finding a doctor who you trust, and he or she trusts you, and you’re working on a plan together.”
Click here to read the complete article from SurvivorNet.com.