Navigating ovarian cancer as a trans man
Tristan Bilash was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer in his 30s. His diagnosis and treatment were entwined with his gender dysphoria and his developing identity as a man of trans experience.
In this peer-reviewed article from the Journal of Clinical Oncology (co-authored with psychologist Dr. Lauren Walker) “Spare Parts: Navigating Ovarian Cancer as a Transgender Man” Tristan shares his struggles with hormone therapy, his feelings of isolation when not finding a peer support group that “fit”, and of the challenge of passing as a cisgender man in a healthcare space tailored to cisgender women.
“At age 30, when the gynecologist confirmed that I needed a bilateral oophorectomy and total hysterectomy to treat ovarian cancer, my reaction was clearly not typical; it was a combination of relief, elation, and fear: Relief at finally having confirmation that I was correct—something was not right with my body; elation that these body parts, long integrated with pain and dysphoria, would be removed; and fear because this came with a cost: cancer.”
“My cancer and gender-affirming transition journeys have led me to reconsider the platitude offered to patients undergoing treatment or excision: “The parts do not make the woman or man, do they?” We as providers should not assume what body parts mean to transgender patients with cancer—as there is just as much diversity within the transgender community as there is in any other community of patients. Every part matters. Every part deserves to be honored, taken care of, and let go of (if needed), with grace and dignity. It is okay to grieve the loss of some parts and celebrate the loss of others or simply have mixed feelings altogether. Human beings are both the sum of our parts and, at the same time, not defined by our parts. Indeed, I have come to realize that there are no spare parts.”
Tristan is a registered social worker, counsellor at CancerCare Manitoba, a passionate ovarian cancer advocate, and public speaker. He is also one of Queering Cancer’s amazing community partners!
Citation: Bilash, T., & Walker, L. M. (2022). Spare Parts: Navigating Ovarian Cancer as a Transgender Man. Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 40(9), 1027–1029. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.21.01249
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