Hear Pfizer out: Healthcare professionals may need a reminder that their LGBTIQ+ patients are more than just their cancer diagnoses.
That’s the premise behind the company’s “Hear Me Out” messaging, part of the new “More Than Cancer” campaign launched this week in collaboration with the U.K.-based LGBTIQ+ cancer advocacy group OUTpatients. Together, Pfizer and OUTpatients are urging U.K. HCPs to look “beyond the diagnosis” to see a whole person, rather than merely a cancer patient, by acknowledging romantic orientation, sexual activity and gender identity, according to the campaign website.
“Cancer care should be a safe space for everyone, but for some in the LGBTIQ+ community, it hasn’t always felt that way,” Pfizer explained in a LinkedIn post. “By recognizing and respecting sexual orientation and gender identity, healthcare professionals can create a more inclusive, welcoming environment where no one feels the need to hide who they are.”
To spread the word, Pfizer and OUTpatients enlisted three “campaign champions” in Loz, Leeanne and Louise, who each spoke about what the phrase “there’s more to me than cancer” means to them in a campaign video.
“My cancer has never, ever defined who I am,” Loz said. “I’m a well-rounded person; I have hobbies, I have interests, I have friends. I have a very enriched life outside of that and outside of the hospital setting.”
But even beyond knowing about their hobbies, Loz, Leeanne and Louise all expressed a wish that the HCPs they interact with in the cancer care setting, whether oncologists, chemo nurses or radiologists, are aware that they’re part of the LGBTIQ+ community. For Louise, for example, that means that her partner isn’t mistaken for her sister, a campaign poster notes.
Avoiding assumptions and having patients explain their support systems in their own words is one of a handful of hints and tips (PDF) that the campaign offers HCPs to encourage inclusive care. Healthcare workers are also reminded to introduce themselves with their pronouns and stay away from gendered language.
“Assumptions really can make it difficult for us as patients,” Leeanne said in the video. “We want people who are going to be judgement-free.”
Pfizer and OUTpatients’ collaboration comes just in time for the start of Pride Month on June 1 and stands to shine light on an important concern that isn’t just limited to the U.K.
According to a 2024 report from the American Cancer Society, members of the LGBTQ+ community in the U.S. may have more risk factors for cancer due to a higher prevalence of certain practices such as smoking and heavy alcohol use. Some pockets of the community also face increased risks due to higher-than-average rates of certain cancer-causing infections such as HIV and hepatitis C.
The study also highlighted significant barriers many in the community face when navigating the healthcare system, including the “presumption-of-care gap,” or a fear that patients will be denied care based on their gender identity or sexual orientation. Those concerns may result in some patients not getting the preventive care they need, the report suggested, as evidenced by the less than half of trans men who are up to date on recommended colorectal cancer screenings.