Transgender hormone drug treatment linked to cancer

DOCTORS on a leading transgender healthcare body have admitted that patients have developed cancer owing to the effects of hormone treatment.

Leaked emails show other medical professionals admitting that trans patients do not always understand the consequences of gender reassignment.

The cache of files from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), which sets guidelines that have influenced NHS treatment, show that doctors are carrying out life-changing surgery and prescribing puberty blockers even though they are aware the adults and children may not fully understand the long-term ramifications.

One doctor talked about a transgender person who died of cancer as a result of his hormone treatment. “I have one transition friend/colleague who, after about eight to 10 years of [testosterone] developed hepatocarcinoma [a form of liver cancer],” the doctor wrote.

“To my knowledge, it was linked to his hormone treatment… it was so advanced that he opted for palliative care and died a couple of months later.”

It is not clear from the documents if the person who died was made aware or knew about the side-effect.

Another said they would go ahead with a double mastectomy (called “top surgery”) on a 16-year-old girl even though hormones had likely given her liver cancer.

“The oncologist and surgeon both have indicated that the likely offending agent(s) are the hormones,” the doctor wrote.

“We are prepared to support the patient in any way we can (eg top surgery when medically stable, etc).”