Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center specialists understand that the nearly 15 million American adults who identify as LGBTQ+ often face stigma and discrimination that can make navigating the healthcare system difficult. This bias also can lead to significant disparities in cancer care, including higher rates of late-stage diagnoses, poorer cancer outcomes and untreated side effects from therapy.
To ensure all people receive the exact care they need, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center offers the Rainbows Breast Cancer Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The clinic delivers precision treatments to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, gender diverse and intersex people with breast cancer who wish to be seen in an LGBTQ-focused breast clinic.
Meeting your unique needs
The Rainbows Breast Cancer Clinic team provides multidisciplinary and person-affirming care for people who identify as LGBTQ+ in a safe and respectful environment while optimizing physical, emotional and social health.
We tailor our services to people who identify as LGBTQ+, including offering fertility preservation before cancer treatment and treating sexual side effects cancer therapies may cause. For transgender and gender-diverse people, we can address concerns about the interaction of hormone therapy, gender-affirming surgery and cancer treatments.
Our supportive environment includes welcoming signage throughout the clinic and gender-neutral bathrooms. Our specialists, including medical oncologists, nurse practitioners, registered nurses and social workers, are trained in providing care for people who identify as LGBTQ+. They use affirming, culturally appropriate language. When necessary, the team consults with breast surgeons and radiation oncologists with similar training.
Improving LGBTQ+ cancer care
People who identify as LGBTQ+, and particularly people who identify as transgender or gender diverse, experience significant disparities in cancer care. Unfortunately, there's little data available to better understand why these disparities happen or how to improve outcomes for people in these groups.
The Rainbows Breast Cancer Clinic is addressing this knowledge gap by conducting research into LGBTQ+ cancer care.
People seen at the Rainbows Breast Cancer Clinic are given the opportunity to participate in research. This often includes an option to complete surveys or phone interviews about healthcare experiences and symptoms. Researchers use this information to develop a better understanding of issues facing people who identify as LGBTQ+, such as how endocrine therapy may worsen dysphoria or how patient documentation can support sexual orientation and gender identity. Using this knowledge, the clinic aims to develop clinical trials focused on LGBTQ+ needs related to breast cancer.
By collaborating with people seen at the clinic to better understand LGBTQ+ needs, researchers are continuously improving clinical care and helping people who identify as LGBTQ+ receive the healthcare they need.
To make an appointment
Call the Breast Cancer Clinic Appointment Desk in Rochester, Minnesota, at 507-284-8815 and mention Rainbows.
Virtual visits will be allowed for any person, as laws allow.
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