National LGBT Cancer Network calls out major media

PROVIDENCE, R.I., March 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Recent news stories in Newsweek and The Telegraph on a purported connection between gender-affirming hormone therapy and cancer are misleading and dangerous, according to the leadership of the National LGBT Cancer Network, a nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives of LGBT cancer survivors and those at risk through education, training, and advocacy.

“The articles artificially elevate rare case reports as scientific ‘evidence’ of a connection between these therapies and cancer,” says Scout, executive director of the network. “Simply repeating a provider’s hypothesis that a treatment might relate to cancer does not constitute scientific evidence. The stories further misconstrue expected realignment of a person’s cancer risk with their true gender as more ‘evidence’ of problems with gender affirming therapy. For example, comparing a trans woman’s risk of breast cancer to men is deliberately misleading.”

There is no body of scientific evidence supporting a hypothesis that gender-affirming hormone therapy increases cancer risk, Scout says. “Attempting to draw this connection is a baldfaced attempt to misinterpret real science and use inflammatory language to fearmonger. There is no fire here; there isn’t even a spark.

“Most dismayingly, there is a major problem related to cancer among trans people that is not being covered by the media: how discrimination is a barrier to trans cancer screenings, diagnosis, and treatment.”

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-lgbt-cancer-network-calls-out-major-media-outlets-for-misinformation-on-transgender-cancer-302085695.html?tc=eml_cleartime