By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
A new study of homosexual men in California has found that this population is twice as likely to report a cancer diagnosis that heterosexual men.
CNN is reporting that the new research, published yesterday in the medical journal, Cancer, found that eight percent of homosexual men experienced a cancer diagnosis compared to only five percent of straight men. Cancer among lesbians was found to be occurring at about the same rate as heterosexual women.
Researchers believe the increased cancer rate in men who have sex with men (MSMs) may have something to do with HIV status.
“There’s a higher prevalence of HIV positive men in the gay population, and we know that being HIV positive is related to cancers, so this might drive the differences we found,” said study author Ulrike Boehmer, an associate professor at Boston University School of Public Health.
Among the most prevalent cancers in MSMs who are HIV positive are anal cancer, lung cancer, testicular cancer and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
For example, the incidence of anal cancer among MSMs is striking compared to the general population. Every year anal cancer is diagnosed in only about two people out of every 100,000. But this rare cancer occurs in 20 out of every 100,000 MSMs who are HIV negative, and increases to 40 out of every 100,000 in MSMs who are HIV positive.
The study also found that homosexual men were more likely to get cancer at an earlier age than heterosexual men – by the age of 41 compared to 51 for straight men.
In the lesbian population, the cancer rates were about the same as heterosexual women, but lesbian women who were cancer survivors were more likely to report that they were in fair or poor health.
Researchers generally agree that the homosexual population has more risk factors for cancer than the general population. For instance, they are more likely to smoke and abuse alcohol, and to avoid going to a doctor out of fear of not be accepted.
Although researchers believe more study is necessary, for now, they are calling for more focused programs to help this population.
“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,” Boehmer told Reuters Health in an email.
And, “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,” she added.
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