All proceeds from the sale of this compact disc are being donated to the Howard Brown Health Center's Cancer Quality of Life Study. This study is the first to compare social factors between lesbians and heterosexual women with breast cancer.

Many people know breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death for women between the ages of 35-64, and the second leading cause of death for women over 65. However, many do not know that lesbians have a higher risk for developing breast cancer when compared to heterosexual women, even when there are no differences in family history, frequency of mammograms, or if they have already had cancer. Lesbians are believed to be underserved in medical settings and, as a result, receive fewer cancer screenings and have decreased access to preventetive and treatment services. In addition, lesbians report poor relationships with medical providers.

This study, which began in December 1999, is now in the next phase; conducting ninety-minute phone interview with women about their experiences with breast cancer. During these interviews, women will be asked questions regarding relationships with medical providers as well as their physical and emotional adjustments to breast cancer. The goal is to interview approximately 200 U.S. women who have had breast cancer in the last five years.

One of the primary critiques of the limited past research on lesbians is that experiences of lesbians and heterosexual women have not been compared. Therefore, lesbian participants of this study will be compared to a heterosexual counterpart with similar demographics, such as age, race, and income. This comparison will help assess whether it is sexual orientation or other factors that influence the quality of care that lesbians are reporting.

Overarching goals of the study include:

1. better understanding how the availability of social support following a cancer diagnosis affects quality of life, coping, and overall adjustment;
2. providing concrete, detailed information about how to improve health care services and resources for lesbians at Howard Brown Health Center and other physical and mental health care centers
3. studying the psychological and social issues lesbians face when diagnosed with breast cancer
4. contributing to both the improvement of cancer-related services for lesbians and the scientific literature on factors affecting the quality of life of lesbians with cancer
5. conducting research in related areas and increasing collaboration between health researchers and community-based organizations that work in the area of lesbian health
6. utilizing information gathered from this study to assist established community-based health services in Chicago with long traditons of providing those services.

For more information contact Patty Delaney, Project Coordinator, toll-free at 877-897-2777 or via email at PattyD@howardbrown.org.

Websites of interest:

• www.howardbrown.org - The midwest's largest lesbian, gay, and bisexual health organization.
• www.lccp.org - Lesbian Community Cancer Project.
• www.mautnerproject.org - A national organization for lesbians with cancer.
• www.komen.org - The Susan G. Komen national breast cancer foundation.
• www.acor.org - Association of Cancer Online Resources.
• www.lesbian.com - An international resource for lesbians.
• www.cancer.org - American Cancer Society.