Dr Manas Pustake talks to ecancer at ASCO 2025 about the study he presented which won a Conquer Cancer merit award.

This cross-sectional analysis of over 278,000 U.S. adults from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) identified notable disparities in access to cancer screening among LGBTQ+ populations, particularly in mammogram utilisation.

While cervical cancer screening and sigmoidoscopy rates showed no significant differences across sexual orientation groups, mammogram screening was significantly lower among gay, bisexual, and other non-heterosexual respondents compared to their straight counterparts.

Dr Pustake notes that these findings suggest sexual orientation is associated with unequal access to certain preventive health services and highlight the need for focused public health interventions to increase mammogram screening rates in LGBTQ+ communities.