Here at Didsbury Medical Centre we want to make sure that all our patients are as comfortable as possible in every appointment. We want to allow you to control the environment that you would feel most comfortable in. If you would like to discuss Prostate screening with a GP and have any personal requirements, please let us know and we will be happy to accommodate.
Can i get Prostate Cancer as a Trans women?
Yes. Your risk may be lower if you’ve taken feminising hormones, or had gender affirming surgery that included an orchidectomy. But there is still a risk, so it’s important to know the risk factors and be aware of the symptoms.
If you’re a non-binary person assigned male at birth and have not taken feminising hormones or had an orchidectomy, then your risk will be the same as for cis men.
What does the prostate do in Trans Women?
The prostate’s main job is to help make semen – the fluid that carries sperm.
If you’ve had gender affirming surgery, you may still produce fluid on sexual arousal (seminal fluid) because you still have a prostate. But if you’ve had the testicles removed (orchidectomy), there won’t be any sperm in the fluid you produce.
If i am taking hormones or have had gender affirming surgery does that mean i wont get prostate cancer?
No. You can still get prostate cancer if you’ve had surgery or are taking hormones – even if you’ve been taking them for a long time.
Your chance of developing prostate cancer may be lower if you’re taking testosterone blockers or anti-androgens, or if you’ve had an orchidectomy, because these lower your testosterone levels. Prostate cancer cells usually need testosterone to grow, so lowering your testosterone can reduce your risk.
Taking oestrogen can also lower your testosterone levels, and oestrogen is sometimes used to treat prostate cancer. But while oestrogen may lower your testosterone levels, some studies have shown that it may help prostate cancer cells to grow in people who have already developed prostate cancer. Oestrogen has also been linked to benign prostate problems, such as an enlarged prostate.
We still need more research about how oestrogen affects the prostate in trans women. If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, your doctor might suggest that you change to a different type of oestrogen that is used to treat prostate cancer. But you won’t have to stop taking your feminising hormones if you don’t want to.
Tests for Trans Women at the GP surgery
The tests you have will depend on your medical history and any medicines you’re taking. Some of the test results will be interpreted differently if you’re taking feminising hormones. These include oestrogen or drugs that block the effect of testosterone (testosterone blockers or anti-androgens).
But the tests you have for prostate cancer will be similar to the tests in cis men – even if you’ve had gender affirming surgery or you’re taking feminising hormones.
You might have a urine test, a blood test and a prostate examination at your GP surgery. Your GP may then refer you to a doctor at the hospital who specialises in urinary problems (a urologist), for more information and tests if necessary.
You can also discuss any worries you may have with a doctor at an NHS gender dysphoria clinic, who can refer you to a urologist.
PSA blood test in trans women
The PSA blood test helps to diagnose prostate problems, including prostate cancer. Trans women have the same right to a PSA blood test as cis men.
You have the right to a test if you have thought carefully about the advantages and disadvantages – you need to make an appointment with your doctor to talk about these. The test is carried out for free on the NHS.
If you have not yet medically transitioned and are over 50 (or over 45 if you’re Black or have a family history), ask about getting a PSA blood test before you start taking feminising hormones or have the testicles removed (orchidectomy). Read more about the risk factors and getting tested.
If you’ve had feminising hormones or an orchidectomy, then what’s considered a normal PSA level for you will be lower than for cis men.
In trans women, a normal PSA is:
- under 3ng/ml if you’ve not had feminising hormones or an orchidectomy
- under 1ng/ml if you have had feminising hormones or an orchidectomy.
A raised PSA level doesn’t mean you definitely have prostate cancer. It is the first step in deciding if you need more tests, such as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. To find out more, read our general information about the PSA blood test.
All information found from https://prostatecanceruk.org/