Cancer can cause extra distress for trans people who have cancer in a part of their body that doctors may not expect due to their gender. For example, a trans man may have cervical cancer or a trans woman may develop prostate cancer. It’s important to screen the parts of your body that you have.
Learn more about:
Overview
If you’ve had surgery to remove certain body parts (e.g. a mastectomy or top surgery, or surgery to remove reproductive organ/s), talk with your surgeon and healthcare team about what (if any) cancer risk remains after that surgery.
Breast cancer
Everyone has breast tissue in the breast and chest area, which means anyone can get breast cancer. But risks can vary:
- Trans and gender-diverse people who develop breasts at puberty have a similar level of risk to cisgender women.
- Trans women and gender-diverse people who develop breasts from taking gender-affirming hormones have a higher risk than cisgender men, but a lower risk than cisgender women.
- Trans men and other people who have had gender-affirming top surgery have a lower risk of developing breast cancer than cisgender women, but may still need to screen for breast cancer.
Having a mastectomy to treat cancer is different from gender-affirming top surgery. A mastectomy removes all the breast tissue from part or all of the chest area and often the nipple. Top surgery usually keeps some breast tissue to form into a masculine chest and the nipple is often retained. You may have had top surgery before you were diagnosed with cancer.
Some trans and gender-diverse people prefer the term chest cancer instead of breast cancer. We use the term “breast cancer” because it refers to cancer of the breast tissue. Everyone has some breast tissue, which is why some cisgender men also get breast cancer. Cancer can also affect other organs in the chest, including the lungs and trachea.
Prostate cancer
The prostate is not removed during gender-affirming genital surgery (e.g. vaginoplasty). This means all trans and genderdiverse people who were born with a prostate can get prostate cancer.
It’s common for the prostate to grow larger with age. You may be at higher risk of prostate cancer if you have a family history of prostate cancer, or if you started gender-affirming hormone therapy later in life and cancer had already started to grow in your prostate.
Taking feminising hormones (such as oestrogen or testosterone blockers) or having your testicles removed, reduces your risk of prostate cancer by lowering testosterone levels. Although the risk of prostate cancer is likely to be low, keep in mind the following:
- if your doctor does not know your trans status, they may not ask about prostate symptoms
- PSA blood test results may look different if you’re taking hormones such as oestrogen
- you may not have any prostate cancer symptoms, or urinary symptoms may be mistaken for effects of gender-affirming surgery
Other cancers of the reproductive organs
There are many cancers that affect reproductive organs, including cancer of the cervix, ovaries, vagina, vulva, testicles or penis.
Some trans people have gender-affirming surgery to create a vagina or penis. Cancer can also develop in these body parts, but this is very rare. If you have concerns, talk to your doctor.
All people with a cervix should have a cervical cancer screening test every 5 years. It’s now possible to collect the sample for screening yourself. For information about self-collection, visit canwe.org.au or cancercouncil.org.au.
→ READ MORE: Cancer treatment and gender affirmation
Podcast: Coping with a Cancer Diagnosis
Listen to more of our podcast for people affected by cancer
Key resource
The information on this page is also available for download.
This resource was developed as part of the Western Sydney University Out with Cancer research project.
Prof Alison Brand, Clinical Professor, The University of Sydney and Director, Department of Gynaecological Oncology, Westmead Hospital, NSW; Dr Daniel Brown, Clinical Psychologist and Researcher, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, VIC; Dr Rosalie Power, Senior Research Fellow and Deputy HDR Director, Translational Health Research Institute (THRI), Western Sydney University, NSW; Dr Sarah Bishop Browne, Palliative and Supportive Care Staff Specialist, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Collette Butler, Clinical Nurse Consultant and McGrath Breast Care Nurse, Cancer Support Centre, Launceston, TAS; Prof Ada Cheung, Endocrinologist, NHMRC and Dame Kate Campbell Research Fellow and Head, Trans Health Research Group, The University of Melbourne, VIC; Dr Tiffany Daly, Radiation Oncologist, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Raymond Terrace, QLD; A/Prof Ian Faragher, The University of Melbourne and Head, Colorectal and General Surgery Unit, Western Health, VIC; Hall & Wilcox (law firm); A/Prof Peter Heathcote, Urologist, Brisbane Urology Clinic, QLD; Prof Richard Hillman, Senior Staff Specialist, HIV and Immunology, St Vincent’s Health Network, Sydney, NSW; Mads Kennedy, Project Coordinator, Silver Rainbow, LGBTIQ+ Health Australia, NSW; Dr Sanjeev Kumar, Breast Cancer Medical Oncologist and Clinician Scientist, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Madeline Lee, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council NSW; Luke Mitchell, Urological and Sexual Health Nurse Practitioner, Men’s Health Melbourne, VIC; Nadia Reddish, Consumer; Dr Stephen Rowles, Sexual Health Physician and General Practitioner, The Centre Clinic and Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, VIC; Teresa Simpson, Senior Clinician, Psycho-Oncology Social Work Service, Cancer Therapy Centre, Liverpool Hospital, NSW; Mel Tume, Consumer; Prof Jane Ussher, Professor of Women’s Health Psychology and Chief Investigator, Out with Cancer Study, Western Sydney University, NSW; Syr Lumi Vor, Community Member; John Wenborn, Shine a Light (LGBTQIA+ Cancer Support Group). We also thank the health professionals, consumers and editorial teams who worked on the first the edition of this title. We particularly acknowledge ACON and Intersex Human Rights Australia for their extensive input on the first edition. Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag designed by Valentino Vecchietti (2021).
View the Cancer Council NSW editorial policy.
