Let’s explore the complexities of women’s bodies.
When it comes to hormones and reproductive systems, they vary between genders, each with their own complexities.
Prostate cancer in women is less well-known, but it’s important to understand that women have prostate-related structures.
Read on to find out what a female prostate is and whether prostate cancer is something worth worrying about.
The female prostate
So, do women have a prostate? Yes. Women do have what’s called a “female prostate.”
They used to be referred to as the “Skene glands,” but have taken on this new name because they produce the same hormones as the male prostate does.
They also have reproductive functions, just like the male prostate does. So it’s not crazy to think that women have a prostate!
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Can women develop prostate cancer?
It is possible to develop cancer in the female prostate.
The good news is that this is rare. In fact, cancer of the female prostate only makes up 0.003% of cancer that occurs in the female genitourinary tract.
Occasionally, cancer may originate in the female prostate and, in rare instances, spread to nearby structures like the urethra.
According to one study, cancer of the Skene’s glands is extremely rare, accounting for only 0.003 percent of cancers in the female genital-urinary tract.
In one case, painless long-term blood in the urine prompted a woman to seek medical attention.
Cancer in her prostate gland was treated with radiation, and her symptoms cleared. But since this type of cancer is so rare, it is challenging to study, and we don’t know much about it.
One possible risk factor is older age since we do notice that female prostate cancer is more common in postmenopausal women.
Some evidence suggests a possible link between higher progesterone levels and the development of cancerous lesions in this area, but further research is needed to confirm this.
Symptoms of prostate cancer in women
Symptoms to look out for include:
- blood in the urine
- painful urination
- frequent urination
- difficulty passing urine
- painful sexual intercourse
- a feeling of pressure behind the pubic bone
- abnormal menstrual cycles
- sudden changes to the menstrual cycle
Infections
Female prostate cancer may be rare, but infections are more common. This type of infection leads to inflammation of the female prostate glands, which is called “female prostatitis.”
This leads to symptoms like:
- frequent urination
- urinary urgency
- pressure behind the pubic bone
- painful urination
- difficulty passing urine
One way that these infections happen is by letting a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI for short) run wild. If an STI has gone untreated, it can spread to the female prostate.
Gonorrhea itself can actually lead to enlargement as well as tenderness of the female prostate, so that is a symptom to watch out for in a gonorrhea infection.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS for short) is a condition in which ovaries are enlarged with multiple fluid-filled cysts (polycystic ovary). But that’s not all.
Women with PCOS also have higher levels of testosterone, insulin, and progesterone as well as lower levels of estrogen.
Symptoms include light or missed periods, obesity, insulin resistance, and signs of androgen excess such as acne and growth of facial hair.
Usually, a woman with PCOS does not ovulate. This can lead to infertility. Scientists have noticed that women with PCOS do tend to have larger female prostates, as well as higher levels of PSA.
In PCOS, progesterone levels are higher than estrogen and peak before estrogen. This means that estrogen levels are lower and peak later than they should.
This is why ovulation doesn’t usually happen, though there are several different types of PCOS. In Atypical PCOS, ovulation can still occur. Menstrual bleeding can be heavy and prolonged in women with atypical PCOS.
Since PCOS leads to increased insulin levels, women with this condition are at higher risk of developing diabetes. They are also at higher risk of developing endometrial cancer.
So what causes PCOS in the first place? It’s still a bit of a mystery. Familial and genetic factors play a role, although the actual underlying defect is unknown.
There is evidence to support a link between chronic stress and PCOS and its multiple hormonal imbalances. A woman is usually diagnosed with PCOS after an ultrasound reveals enlarged ovaries with multiple cysts on them.
Blood work can also help to reveal a diagnosis of PCOS, particularly increased levels of testosterone, DHEA, and androstenedione.
To test for insulin resistance, your doctor can do blood work to measure your fasting glucose and insulin and then calculate the ratio between these two values.
If the result is less than 4.5, this is a significant sign that insulin resistance is present. This test is actually used as a screening tool for obese women with PCOS.
Cysts
Since the female prostate is glandular, it can develop cysts. Cysts are structures that are often filled with pus.
They can happen in any woman or even girls, as they can occur at any age. Treatment for cysts of the female prostate is relatively simple, as it usually involves draining fluid from the cyst and allowing the tissue to heal on its own.
Adenofibroma
An adenofibroma is a growth that occurs in the endometrium and the cervix of the uterus. It can happen outside the uterus as well.
I have two bits of good news for you: this type of growth is non-cancerous, and it is extremely rare anyways.
An adenofibroma leads to symptoms such as pain during sexual intercourse and heavy, painful periods.
This type of growth is usually found upon pelvic examination. It can cause pelvic enlargement up to two or even three times its normal size. Conventional treatment for adenofibroma is surgery to remove the growth.
What is the purpose of a woman’s prostate?
Researchers are still investigating the exact role of the female prostate in the body. There is a hypothesis that it might be involved in infection control due to its glandular nature, but more research is needed.
The female prostate has structures that may produce Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) to some extent, but this function differs from the male prostate.
Interestingly, PSA levels show up in women who have certain types of breast cancer. Scientists are still trying to figure this one out when it comes to women’s health.
