Breast Cancer Experiences in Lesbian and Heterosexual Women

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States in women. In fact, it is the second leading cause of death for women. It is estimated that in 2022, almost 300,000 cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed (Breastcancer.org). Breast cancer itself has been well studied and the mechanisms are very clear. However, little information is readily available about the experiences and quality of life of LGBTQ+ women when diagnosed with breast cancer and during treatment. As such, Borowczak et al. (2021) sought to compare the experience and quality of life differences between heterosexual women and lesbian women.

Researchers interviewed participants regarding their thoughts and feelings on various different topics such as the resources and support they were offered, obstacles during their treatment, levels of support from their partners, among a host of other questions. The answers the researchers got were interesting. In regards to support, researchers found that lesbian women had a higher level of support and involvement from their partners than heterosexual women, with heterosexual women avoiding mention of their partner’s involvement in their care. Heterosexual women also reported a more negative impact on their relationships with their partners than lesbian women did. Lesbian women in fact thought their relationship was made to be stronger because of this diagnosis. In regards to quality of life, heterosexual women reported decreased quality of life and increased concerns about side effects of their treatment in relation to their quality of life. On the other hand, lesbian women did not experience any major concerns about this topic. Lesbian women were also found to have higher levels of autonomy and confidence in their decisions compared to heterosexual women who thought that many aspects of their care were left out of their control. Another major finding was that heterosexual women tended to have a more negative impact on their idea of femininity. In contrast to this, some lesbian women reported a positive impact after treatment.

Overall, the results showed that there are several differences between heterosexual and lesbian women regarding their breast cancer experiences. Lesbian women tended to have more support from their partners and improved relationships with their partners, along with less concern about quality of life and body image. While research on sexual minority women is currently sparse, this study reinforces previous research that same-gender relationships offer a special dynamic that can be beneficial to women undergoing cancer treatment. Additionally, previous research shows that LGBTQ+ populations tend to have a large amount of optimism, which could have contributed in this case to the positive viewpoint that lesbian women had on their situation in multiple aspects.

Citations:

Borowczak, M., Lee, M. C., Weidenbaum, E., Mattingly, A., Kuritzky, A., & Quinn, G. P. (2021). Comparing Breast Cancer Experiences and Quality of Life between Lesbian and Heterosexual Women. Cancers, 13(17), 4347

Breastcancer.org. (n.d.). Breast Cancer Facts and Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.breastcancer.org/facts-statistics