National LGBT Cancer Network calls out major media outlets for misinformation on transgender cancer

PROVIDENCE, R.I., March 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Recent news stories in Newsweek and The Telegraph on a purported connection between gender-affirming hormone therapy and cancer are misleading and dangerous, according to the leadership of the National LGBT Cancer Network, a nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives of LGBT cancer survivors and those at risk through education, training, and advocacy.

"The articles artificially elevate rare case reports as scientific 'evidence' of a connection between these therapies and cancer," says Scout, executive director of the network. "Simply repeating a provider's hypothesis that a treatment might relate to cancer does not constitute scientific evidence. The stories further misconstrue expected realignment of a person's cancer risk with their true gender as more 'evidence' of problems with gender affirming therapy. For example, comparing a trans woman's risk of breast cancer to men is deliberately misleading."

There is no body of scientific evidence supporting a hypothesis that gender-affirming hormone therapy increases cancer risk, Scout says. "Attempting to draw this connection is a baldfaced attempt to misinterpret real science and use inflammatory language to fearmonger. There is no fire here; there isn't even a spark.

"Most dismayingly, there is a major problem related to cancer among trans people that is not being covered by the media: how discrimination is a barrier to trans cancer screenings, diagnosis, and treatment."

Weeks ago, the largest ever study of transgender people in the world released its preliminary findings. Almost half of the 84,000 respondents had considered moving to another state due to the deluge of anti-trans laws introduced in states across the country. Almost a quarter of those respondents had avoided seeing a doctor in the last year due to fears of mistreatment.

"The upheaval of social, financial, and health supports created by a cross-state move, and fear of seeing a doctor, increases all health risks," Scout says.

Cancer research documents these problems, such as the study showing trans cancer screening rates at a welcoming health center are still 50-73 percent lower than non-trans people, the study showing more than 80 percent of oncologists do not feel they know enough to treat trans people, and the study showing sexual and gender minorities take nearly twice as long to get a breast cancer diagnosis and are nearly three times as likely to experience cancer recurrence.

"This is real science; these are profound problems in health care; this is the story," Scout says. "The National LGBTQI+ Cancer Network looks forward to the day media outlets raise alarms about real issues related to trans cancer, instead of attempting to feed false right wing narratives designed to increase our communities' risk."

Media contact:
Dr. Scout
[email protected]
401-267-8337

SOURCE National LGBT Cancer Network