Understanding Prostate Cancer in Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women: A Review of the Literature

Prostate cancer in sexual and gender minorities is an emerging medical and public health concern. The purpose of this review is to summarize the state of the science on prostate cancer in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) and transgender women (TGW). We undertook a literature review of all publications on this topic through February 2017. With 88 unique papers (83 on prostate cancer in GBM and five case reports of prostate cancer in TGW), a small but robust literature has emerged. The first half of this review critiques the literature to date, identifying gaps in approaches to study. The second half summarizes the key findings in eleven areas. In light of this admittedly limited literature, GBM appears to be screened for prostate cancer less than other men, but they are diagnosed with prostate cancer at about the same rate. Compared to other men, GBM have poorer urinary, bowel, and overall quality-of-life outcomes but better sexual outcomes after treatment; all these findings need more research. Prostate cancer in TGW remains rare and under researched, as the literature is limited to single-case clinical reports.