Is Prostate Cancer Transmissible?

Every now and then I get a really good question from a patient that I have never heard before. I am making a new category on my blog for these type of questions.
A patient of mine who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer asked me today if his wife could catch prostate cancer. His concern stemmed from the fact that his original presenting symptom was blood in the semen.


My usual workup for hematospermia (blood in the ejaculate) is a full physical exam, urinalysis, a PSA (blood test screen for prostate cancer), and a urine cytology.
Often the workup shows no significant abnormalities, but a high PSA or an abnormality on rectal exam will lead to a prostate biopsy.
The patient’s concern was that prostate cancer may be transmitted through the semen with intercourse. The logic behind this is obvious, the prostate makes fluid, but could this fluid carry prostate cancer?
In my 9 years as a urologist I had never thought of this question or had anyone ask me it.
Fortunately the answer is NO. There have not been any case reports of prostate cancer being transmitted in any fashion.