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Cancer risk with hormone therapy

The Dutch cohort study by De Blok and colleagues (2019, BMJ) investigated breast cancer incidence in more than two thousand trans women who received feminising hormone therapy.

Breast cancer in trans women

The Dutch cohort study by De Blok and colleagues (2019, BMJ) investigated breast cancer incidence in more than two thousand trans women who received feminising hormone therapy. The incidence was higher than in cisgender men, but lower than in cisgender women. The tumours were usually hormone receptor-positive.

Breast cancer in trans men

In trans men without mastectomy, breast cancer risk remains as long as breast tissue is present. In trans men who undergo mastectomy a residual (lower) risk remains, comparable to that after prophylactic mastectomy.

Other cancers

For other cancer types (prostate, cervical cancer with retained cervix, ovaries) more research is needed. International guidelines recommend aligning cancer surveillance with the organs present and the hormone profile.