One in two of us will be diagnosed with cancer in our lifetime, and World Cancer Day allows us each year to reflect on our work in cancer research.

In Manchester, the new Paterson Research Building gives cancer research here a new, diversified, and resourced site. The development and trialling of a cancer vaccine in the UK is aimed at providing a personalised approach to fighting cancer. More broadly, 50% of people now survive for 10 or more years.

Progress, it seems.

Sadly, cancer health disparities affect certain people and communities more than others. It is compounded further by the current social and political climate. As the most underrepresented community in research, the LGBTQIA+ community:

• have worse cancer outcomes and trauma related to their cancer journey
• are overlooked and/or excluded from research projects and clinical trials, and
• experience a lack of workforce expertise and training for culturally competent healthcare and treatment.

In fact, the UK cancer registry does not collect data on sexual orientation or gender identity. This makes it very difficult to understand experiences and specific challenges, and to exact meaningful positive change.

Therefore, not all progress is equal.

This World Cancer Day, therefore, we are sharing a project that focuses on the LGBTQIA+ community, narrowing the research and health inequity gap that exists.

Jen-Davies Oliveira, CRUK-funded PhD student at Manchester Cancer Research Centre

Since cervical screening was introduced in the 1980s, it has reduced the number of those dying from cervical cancer by around 80%. However, participation in the screening programme is low and decreasing with only 68.7% of those eligible attending.

Those who identify as LGBTQIA+ are less likely to attend screening due to the general barriers of access and the speculum examination but also more specific barriers to the community such as being misgendered in the transgender population or lack of LGBTQIA+ inclusive language. 

Our Manchester-based research team, led by Professor Emma Crosbie, is exploring a urine sample as an alternative cervical screening method with the hope of reversing the decrease in participation in the current cervical screening programme.

Due to lower LGBTQI+ participation, we explored the current barriers to cervical screening and whether self-sampling methods including urine would increase acceptability of cervical screening in this community.

Key to the project’s success co-production from start to finish. HOME Manchester hosted a hugely successful co-created community event to share our survey results, showing how important the work is.

Interviews are currently being undertaken to further our knowledge from community members around cervical screening and how we can increase screening attendance.

Current findings indicate that choice of cervical screening method is vital to ensure an equitable future cervical screening programme. 

Further information

• HPV Screening For All
• Alternative Cervical Screening Aces Exploring Opinions Among LGBTQIA Community
• Recording: The experience of the LGBTQ+ community in cancer research
• Self-sampling for cervical screening, bridging Peru and the UK Roche and BBC Storyworks

“My user group involvement has shown me the inequalities that LGBTQIA+ people face with cervical screening. With more research, I hope these become less and that more barriers are broken down to allow more access to cervical screening.” ACES LGBTQIA+ User Involvement Group Attendee

Manchester Cancer Research Centre’s role

Given the progress that researchers like Jen are making, it’s our responsibility to ensure that we create blueprints for better and more inclusive research and turn ‘good practice’ into standard practice. By:

• sending our researchers on training events
• inviting public and patient groups to be involved in our research, and
• inspiring the next generation of cancer researchers at visit days

we are starting to produce system changes which will work towards our aim of making cancer research work for all.

By:

Simon Reeds, Outreach and Engagement Manager at Manchester Cancer Research Centre

Jen-Davies Oliveira, CRUK-funded PhD student at Manchester Cancer Research Centre

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