On Wednesday, a new study on Tamoxifen was published. It recommends that women who’ve had ER-positive breast cancer take the drug for twice as long as previously recommended. In the study, the women who took the drug for ten years instead of the standard five were less likely to have a recurrence or to die from the disease. But for some women, the drug causes major side effects.

Participants of the Patient/Doctor Communication: Side by Side at SHARE were invited again to the New York Medical College in Valhalla yesterday, where we talked to doctors and medical students about our experiences as cancer patients.

In my previous posts, I discussed my own experiences as a lesbian with breast cancer, and the differences in cancer risk and screening recommendations for the LGBT population (including ovarian cancer). So, now that you know all of that, and if you’re a member of the LGBT community or have friends or family who are, how do you go about finding a culturally competent doctor so you can get that screening or treatment and be treated with dignity and respect while doing so?

Breast cancer increases a woman’s risk for developing ovarian cancer, and LGBT folks who have had breast cancer need to be especially proactive – not because of any innate extra risk, but because we are less likely, as a group, to benefit from known factors that reduce risk.

Not long ago, I sat in on a SHARE Helpline training session that focused on supporting LGBT callers. When the trainer said that lesbians have higher cancer rates than our straight peers, incredulity swept the room. I understood their surprise: cancer is a disease, not a prejudice. It can strike anyone. Why should the LGBT community be more at risk?

Suppose you are seeking the best way to prevent recurrence of breast or ovarian cancer. Your doctor might say something like “if you take this treatment there’s a 50% greater likelihood that you will not have a recurrence of breast cancer for at least three years.” Do you know what this really means?