UK Cancer and Transition Servicehttps://www.chelwest.nhs.uk/services/medicine/cancer-services/uk-cancer-and-transition-servicehttps://www.chelwest.nhs.uk/++resource++plone-logo.svg
UK Cancer and Transition Service
The UK cancer and transition service (UCATS) provides specialist clinical advice and support for gender diverse people affected by cancer, and their care teams across the UK.
For trans and non-binary people, a cancer diagnosis may be made more difficult because of:
Dysphoria related to the investigations or treatments
Effects of gender-affirming hormone treatments on cancer growth
Effects of cancer treatments on gender-affirming hormones and surgeries
Extra burden on mental health
UCATS puts people at the centre of their cancer journey and helps them to work with teams providing their gender and cancer care to make the best choices for them.
What UCATS offers
Specialist clinical advice on the integration of gender care and cancer care.
Multiprofessional MDT discussion.
Review of available evidence related to treatment decisions.
A platform for shared decision making.
Letter of recommendations.
Signposting to other important services such as therapy, psychosexual counselling and fertility preservation
The opportunity to participate in research.
How does it work?
UCATS is a virtual multidisciplinary team meeting and clinic combined. We accept patient and clinician referrals for advice and review.
Who is eligible to access UCATS?
UCATS is available for anyone who identifies as trans, non-binary, gender-diverse, or is exploring their gender identity.
You must have a diagnosis of cancer now or in the past to be eligible for a referral. You must live in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
We triage referrals according to clinical need but will respond with urgent advice if needed.
Our clinics run once a week on a Mondays. Waiting times for an appointment vary depending on urgency, but are usually within a few weeks.
Appointments are usually over video on Microsoft Teams, but we can also offer in person or telephone appointments.
Links are sent out 1–2 weeks before the appointment and we aim to be flexible to accommodate multiple healthcare professionals being present if needed, as well as the patient’s schedules.
What happens at the appointment?
Appointments last up to one hour. At the initial appointment, we tend to have only the patient and the UCATS team present for the first half an hour. We may then invite multiple members of the care team and external experts to join.
We ask questions about cancer history, gender-affirming care, medical history and treatment priorities.
We may present evidence about risks and benefits of different treatments. We will aim to come to an agreement with patients and care teams about the best way forward and provide with recommendations.
We may signpost to other services that may be helpful.
What happens after the first appointment?
Patients and their care teams are sent a letter by email outlining what was discussed at the appointment.
Further appointments may be required to gain consensus or for ongoing support.
Once you have had your first appointment, patients and care teams continue to have access to UCATS and our specialist nurse.
Our email is monitored regularly and we offer cancer nurse support in standard working hours.
Please do not delay any urgent treatment while waiting for a response or until after your appointment.
Our clinics are only held on Monday afternoons and are usually booked two weeks in advance but we can provide more urgent advice to clinical teams, and sometimes more urgent appointments, when needed.
Where can I access more support?
OUTpatients is a charity supports those in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer communities affected by cancer. They provide peer support, education, and create information leaflets for the community.
The UCATS team is comprised of oncology and gender specialists. Our team is majority queer and has trans and gender-diverse individuals.
Alison Berner (she/her) is the Clinical Lead for the UK Cancer and Transition Service. She is also an Honorary Consultant in Medical Oncology at St Bartholomew’s Hospital treating gynaecological cancers, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London. She is the UK’s only oncologist to be dual trained in gender identity medicine. She is passionate about reducing cancer care for trans and gender diverse people through clinical care and research. She is President of British Association Gender Identity Specialists and a Trustee of the OUTpatients LGBTIAQ+ cancer charity.
Mark Bower (he/him) is a Professor at Imperial College and a consultant medical oncologist at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital who specialises in the treatment of AIDS related malignancies. He established the largest centre for the management of these tumours in Europe, receiving referrals from throughout the UK and has cared for over 4,000 patients with HIV-associated cancers. His clinical research covers the epidemiology, aetiology, pathogenesis and management of these tumours and he has a laboratory research programme studying their immunopathology. He is also a founding member of UCATS.
John Leggett (they/them) is a specialist oncology pharmacist and non-medical prescriber. John has cared for patients with a diagnosis of cancer across East London since 2018 and currently works as a specialist clinical pharmacist in lung cancer. In 2025, they were awarded a fellowship in association with OUTpatients (the national LGBTIQ+ cancer charity) to author the inclusive prescribing document TRANS:cribing, a world’s first resource for advising on safe and inclusive prescribing practice for trans and gender diverse people.
Ibukunoluwakitan (Kit) Aina (he/him) is a General Practitioner and Specialty Doctor in Gender Dysphoria & Sexual Health. He works at TransPlus the first integrated Gender, Sexual Health and HIV service commissioned by NHS England. Kit has worked in a variety of specialities as a junior doctor across London and the South of England. He is currently working on projects to support the provision of gender-affirming hormone therapy within Primary Care services alongside his work with UCATS.
Flora Cohen (they/them) is the cancer nurse specialist at the UK's Cancer and Transition Service (UCATS), the world's first service providing specialist support to transgender and non-binary patients with cancer. Flora also pioneered London's first transgender primary care service, The Bridge@Southwark, and is deeply involved in addressing health inequalities within the transgender community. Their background is in primary care nursing.
