TAMPA, Fla. — Moffitt Cancer Center says its is leading the nation in addressing and improving LGBTQ health care concerns and education.

A new, first-of-its-kind training program is helping oncologists improve patient care.

It's called the Curriculum for Oncologists on LGBTQ Populations to Optimize Relevance and Skills, also known as the "COLORS Training Program."

Five years ago Wednesday, Lexx Howe walked in to Moffitt Cancer Center and got the devastating diagnosis that changed his life.

"I came here nervous and scared because I had a tumor growing in my leg," Howe said.

Howe underwent weeks of chemotherapy and radiation and is now cancer free. He credits the exceptional care from oncologists and as a proud member of the LGBTQ community, said he is thrilled about the new program.

"I mean, we get sick and it's nice that we can feel comfortable with a doctor and say, 'Hey this is what I've got going on," Howe said.

"There's still a large stigma and bias and bigotry toward the LGBT community, so we have to come up with ways to make the patient feel comfortable to disclose this status." - Dr. Matthew Schabath

Dr. Matthew Schabath helped launch the first nationwide survey to identify potential gaps in attitudes, knowledge and institutional practices for LGBTQ patients.

The results showed that while a majority of oncologists were comfortable treating lesbian, gay, and bisexual patients, only half were confident they knew the health needs of that patient population. Schabath said just over a third of oncologists surveyed felt they understood the need of transgender patients.

Taking information gathered from the survey, Moffitt researchers teamed with cancer centers at the University of Miami and the University of Florida to create an online training program to improve knowledge of LGBTQ-related issues.

"There's still a large stigma and bias and bigotry toward the LGBT community, so we have to come up with ways to make the patient feel comfortable to disclose this status," Schabath said.

The program covers general topics like sexual orientation and gender identity, along with oncology focused matters.

"We see that the LGBT community is at a higher risk of very specific cancers for example lung cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer," Schabath said.

"We have vignettes in there interacting with patients that are transgender, gay men, or lesbian women as well as how to interact with these patients and understand their needs and concerns," he said.

Schabath hopes the program will improve quality of care and make patients feel more comfortable with their doctors and with disclosing sensitive information.