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LGBTQ Health - Getty Images
The specific healthcare needs of the LGBTQ+ community, like those of the general population, require awareness, prevention, early detection and treatment. Some are more likely to be neglected than others. Anal cancer is one of those touchy subjects that, whether due to cultural or social stigma, tend to be ignored.
A new study at the Medical College of Wisconsin is seeking ways to overcome that awkward avoidance and encourage people to get anal cancer screening. To that end, The SOLO Study is currently enrolling gay and bisexual men as well as transgender women in the Milwaukee, Chicago and Houston metropolitan areas.
Dr. Alan Nyitray, the study’s principal investigator, said “we think self-sampling may encourage more people to start the screening process.” To address the reluctance to see a health care professional in an office setting, self-sampling is a more private method of screening in which individuals use a swab (essentially a long Q-tip) to collect cells from the anal canal. The swab is then submitted for testing.
Screening Recommended
Anal cancer screening is now recommended by medical societies and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for gay and bisexual men, transgender women and other groups that include people who have had an organ transplant. People with HIV are especially vulnerable to anal cancer. But few people, according to Nyitray, are screening. The result can be especially problematic if cancer is detected later when symptoms appear and the disease is in an advanced stage. Anal cancer symptoms can include an anal lump or sore, anal bleeding or itching. Anal cancer screening can detect a problem before these symptoms appear which makes it easier to treat.
Everyone enrolled in the study receives free anal cancer screening from highly experienced healthcare providers and $140 as an incentive. SOLO is partnering with the Holton Street Clinic and Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee.
Those interested in the participating in the study should visit www.MindYourBehind.org to take the program’s online eligibility survey. They can also contact the study team at SOLO@mcw.edu or by calling/texting (414) 882-0131. Eligible respondents are contacted immediately to arrange a ZOOM or phone interview that describes the screening process.
Nyitray hopes Milwaukee’s LGBTQ+ groups and organizations like the LGBT Community Center, Milwaukee GAMMA and the Milwaukee Gay Sports Network to spread the word and encourage their members to participate. Flyers for distribution and information are available through the SOLO email address listed above.
Rising Death Rates
Anal cancer cases and deaths are rising, particularly in the Midwest. In fact, over the past two decades, Wisconsin has had the highest increase of anal cancer deaths of any state in the nation. Over 90% of anal cancer cases are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).
HPV is extremely common and transmitted through sexual intercourse. Most infections are cleared by the immune system. However, should the infection persist, it can increase risk for anal cancer.
The study is funded by the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. It is being conducted in partnership with the University of Chicago, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and LGBTQ+ friendly community-based organizations and clinics.
