Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026
Single-Port Robotic-assisted Transaxillary Breast-conserving Surgery: A Prospective, Single-arm, Non-randomized Phase IIa Clinical Trial
Published on: August 19, 2025
Breast Cancer in Transgender Patients Following Medical and Surgical Intervention
David Gilbert1, Ayush Thakur1, Tomasz Tabernacki1
1Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH.
Background:
Current breast cancer (BCa) screening guidance does not adequately address transgender populations despite differences in hormone exposure and post-surgical anatomy.
Materials And Methods:
Using the TriNetX network (2003-2023), transgender adults were identified using ICD-10 codes and grouped by sex assigned at birth and intervention: no intervention (NI), hormone therapy (HT ≥ 1 year), or HT with surgery (SX). BCa was defined as ≥ 2 diagnoses of malignant breast neoplasm (ICD-10 C50.x).
Results:
Among 33,775 transgender women, 12 (0.036%) developed BCa. HT alone was not associated with increased odds of BCa diagnosis. Among 44,117 transgender men, 37 (0.084%) developed BCa. Combined HT and chest surgery was associated with higher odds of BCa diagnosis compared with NI. Older age at diagnosis and Black race were significant predictors in both cohorts.
Conclusions:
HT alone was not associated with increased breast cancer risk in transgender individuals. However, residual breast tissue after chest surgery may contribute to persistent risk in transgender men, supporting individualized screening strategies based on intervention type, age, and race.
