8% of lesbians aged 50-79 develop breast cancer compared to 2% of straight women.

The Stonewall Charity just completed a survey, which says  that 8% of lesbians aged 50-79 develop breast cancer compared to 2% of straight women. Unpublished health data from the West Midlands also shows tobacco use among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people along with other risk factors for cancer.

Researcher Dr Catherine Meads said, “There seems to be a high rate of breast cancer in lesbians and bisexual women, but we have no idea why this is so and it was not investigated in any published papers. Currently it is unclear whether more lesbians and bisexual women report having breast cancer because there is a higher incidence, or because lesbians and bisexual women might be surviving longer and so affecting the figures, or for some other reasons. More good quality research needs to be carried out urgently”
We at The LGBT Cancer Project — Out With Cancer, agree.