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So, I heard somewhere, perhaps from a Doctor, that SRS and female hormones lessen the risk of or prevent Prostrate Cancer. I've been on hormones since around 95', and had SRS in 2007.
Gwen
Srs and Hormones Prevent Prostrate Cancer ?
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Yes!!!!!
You and me both girl I transitioned in 2003 so that problems gone mind you mammograms are there to help us girls - but they are a bit uncomfortable.
Christina H
I Had Prostate Cancer
There is no question in my mind, and the doctor agrees, that my use of hormones delayed he detection and slowed the cancer' progress; however, it did start to be noticeable due to an increasing PSA reading and an increasing urge to urinate most of the time. What was odd was that Spironolactone aggravated the urgency to urinate. A biopsy six years ago revealed the cold hard fact that I had cancer. Botched surgery almost killed me. I don't have cancer as far as I know. I will be getting my annual checkup in two days. The worst thing is that I'm urinary incontinent. There was just too much done to allow me to recover urinary control. You might want to buy stock in Kimberly-Clark.
Anything that reduces the effect of testosterone should be beneficial in lowering the likelihood of the development of prostate cancer. Some of the ways to do this are to take medication such as Finasteride and Spironolactone. Another is castration. I am taking both, although not in high quantities - 5 mg Finasteride and 25 mg Spironolactone. Since taking them, I've had a good cup size increase in my bust. I stopped taking estrogen prior to discovering the cancer but have since gone back to .625 mg/day Premarin. I like what's happening in that area. We'll see about the cancer in two days.
Portia
Yes, possibly
I had a car club member tell me that he was on female hormones to shrink the prostate prior to surgery for prostate cancer, which when explained to me made sense (this is apparently standard procedure).
he told me as being supportive of my transition, in that he was having mood swings and he could thus relate to some of what i had gone through on my journey.
As to prevention, it might some day be proven to prevent, if a large enough "at risk" study group could be persuaded to take hormones, therein lies the problem, most guys won't even consider it.
I did have a doctor tell me that while the chance of my getting prostate cancer is diminished, it is still possible (statistically) as the prostate is not removed during SRS.
Prevention
Recently i had read somewhere that one of the very enzymes produced in the prostrate is a carcinogen... now weather or not that is true i'll leave for the more studious of us to determine. However due to that it was promoted that frequent ejaculation (around every other day) was key to a healthy prostate. When i saw this post i instantly remembered that old article and began searching for it. Though i couldnt find it and thus dont remember the name of the enzyme they were pointing to, I was lead to another article that had come to a simular conclusion.Masturbation is Healthy
Androgen Deprivation Therapy
ADT is one method of combating PC so I suspect there is also a prophylactic effect from taking hormones. But please don't sit back and think you are without risk.
I come from a family with very little cancer in the extended tree, yet my biopsy in July came back positive - in the negative way. And PSA scores are not great predictors: mine have been low and steady for years, both of which are supposed to be good signs. However my GP, a year ago, felt something different as did a urologist who said to check back this year. This year a different urologist said a biopsy was warranted and, low and behold, it had a Gleason score of 7 which says, "we need to deal with this." Tuesday next, I'm getting a radical prostatectomy which my wife and I are calling a stealth, partial GRS - trying to be positive and light going into it because we know it's going to be a drag coming out of it. I feel for Portia because what she is dealing with what I think is my biggest fear. But my surgeon is a urologist and oncologist and very experienced doing robotic-assisted surgery so I'm (trying to be) optimistic.
Meanwhile, the phone system upgrade and server migration at work are done (or under control) and the kitchen renovation we are doing ourselves is almost done; anything left after this weekend will just have to wait. But that's OK.
I guess what I want to say at the end is the physical prostate exam is still important even if your risks and PSA are low. That, and wish me luck next week.
Jamie