ROCHESTER, Minn. – People who identify as LGBTQ can face major disparities and stigma when it comes to cancer care, often resulting in later-stage diagnoses and poorer outcomes than other patients. Dr.
Elizabeth Cathcart-Rake, an oncologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, is determined to change that. This summer, Cathcart-Rake and a team at Mayo launched Rainbows, a cancer clinic tailored to meeting the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, gender-diverse and intersex patients. Rainbows will initially focus on supporting patients with breast cancer, with the goal of eventually expanding to include other types of tumors already treated at Mayo.
“This is embedded within our oncology clinic, which is a real plus because that means folks have the same access to multidisciplinary teams that they would in our general clinic,” Cathcart-Rake said. Cathcart-Rake said the idea for starting Rainbows is not only the right thing to do — it’s personal. Her close friend, a transgender man, endured “unbelievable discrimination and stigma” in the health care setting, she said.
The experience prompted her to consider how she could improve results for her friend, who has a family history of breast cancer. “Our job is to serve the patient in front of us and to really help people, and it just felt like this is not right,” Cathcart-Rake said. “There really should be a safe space for folks seeking care regardless of their background, regardless of their sexual orien.