Risk for Chronic Conditions Higher for Sexual Minority AYA Cancer Survivors 

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adolescents and young adult cancer survivors (AYACSs) were at increased risk for chronic health conditions, according to a study published in Cancer.

Adolescents and young adults who survive cancer are at increased risk for comorbidities, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities. It remains unclear whether other minoritized populations are at risk.

This cross-sectional study assessed how socioeconomic status affected the prevalence of chronic health conditions among LGB AYACSs (n=170). Both LGB persons without a history of cancer (n=1700) and non-LGB AYACSs (n=1700) served as comparator groups. Data were sourced from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) collected between 2013 and 2020.

Among the LGB AYACS, LGB non-cancer, and non-LGB AYACS groups, respectively, 80.6%, 78.3%, and 75.2% were women; mean ages were 40.66, 40.41, and 43.61 years at survey participation (P <.001); 82.8%, 80.1%, and 80.6% were White; and 18.1%, 14.1%, and 16.1% were at less than 100% of the federal poverty line (P =.029).

The proportion of participants reporting no diagnoses of chronic conditions was lower in the LGB AYACS group (29%) than in the LGB noncancer (49.5%) or the non-LGB AYACS (41.5%) groups, and a higher proportion in the LGB AYACS group reported 3 or more chronic conditions (21.0%) than in the LGB noncancer (7.7%) or the non-LGB AYACS (15.1%) groups.

Risk for having a chronic condition was higher in the LGB AYACS group than for the LGB noncancer (odds ratio [OR], 2.45; P <.001) and the non-LGB AYACS (OR, 2.16; P =.003) groups.

The LGB AYACS group was at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and pulmonary disease than either of the other groups (all P ≤.043) and for stroke compared with the LGB noncancer group (P =.025).

“In summary, we observed that LGB AYACS have increased odds of a chronic condition diagnosis compared with both heterosexual AYACSs and the LGB noncancer group,” the study authors concluded.