Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31088823›Full record

ArticleBMJ (Clinical research ed.)2019

Breast cancer risk in transgender people receiving hormone treatment: nationwide cohort study in the Netherlands.

Christel J M de Blok, Chantal M Wiepjes, Nienke M Nota, Klaartje van Engelen, Muriel A Adank, Koen M A Dreijerink, Ellis Barbé, Inge R H M Konings, Martin den Heijer

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 157 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
157citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
42.7field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

157 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 350 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Hormone therapy and cancer risks in transgender people: a systematic review.Epidemiologia e servicos de saude : revista do Sistema Unico de Saude do Brasil · 2025
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  5. Hormonal Gender Reassignment Treatment for Gender Dysphoria.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2020
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  16. Breast Cancer Risk Assessment after Gender-Affirming Chest Masculinization Surgery: The Case for Standardized Documentation and Clinical Guidelines.Annals of surgery open : perspectives of surgical history, education, and clinical approaches · 2026
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97 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Christel J M de BlokCentre of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Chantal M WiepjesCentre of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Nienke M NotaCentre of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Klaartje van EngelenDepartment of Clinical Genetics, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Muriel A AdankDepartment of Clinical Genetics, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Koen M A DreijerinkCentre of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Ellis BarbéDepartment of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Inge R H M KoningsDepartment of Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Martin den HeijerCentre of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands m.denheijer@vumc.nl.ORCID 0000-0003-3620-5617
Amsterdam University Medical Centers · NLAmsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam · NLThe Netherlands Cancer Institute · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo investigate the incidence and characteristics of breast cancer in transgender people in the Netherlands compared with the general Dutch population.

designRetrospective, nationwide cohort study.

settingSpecialised tertiary gender clinic in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

participants2260 adult trans women (male sex assigned at birth, female gender identity) and 1229 adult trans men (female sex assigned at birth, male gender identity) who received gender affirming hormone treatment.

main outcome measuresIncidence and characteristics (eg, histology, hormone receptor status) of breast cancer in transgender people.

resultsThe total person time in this cohort was 33 991 years for trans women and 14 883 years for trans men. In the 2260 trans women in the cohort, 15 cases of invasive breast cancer were identified (median duration of hormone treatment 18 years, range 7-37 years). This was 46-fold higher than in cisgender men (standardised incidence ratio 46.7, 95% confidence interval 27.2 to 75.4) but lower than in cisgender women (0.3, 0.2 to 0.4). Most tumours were of ductal origin and oestrogen and progesterone receptor positive, and 8.3% were human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) positive. In 1229 trans men, four cases of invasive breast cancer were identified (median duration of hormone treatment 15 years, range 2-17 years). This was lower than expected compared with cisgender women (standardised incidence ratio 0.2, 95% confidence interval 0.1 to 0.5).

conclusionsThis study showed an increased risk of breast cancer in trans women compared with cisgender men, and a lower risk in trans men compared with cisgender women. In trans women, the risk of breast cancer increased during a relatively short duration of hormone treatment and the characteristics of the breast cancer resembled a more female pattern. These results suggest that breast cancer screening guidelines for cisgender people are sufficient for transgender people using hormone treatment.

Indexed as

AdultAndrogen AntagonistsBreast NeoplasmsBreast Neoplasms, MaleEstrogensFemaleHumansIncidenceMaleNetherlandsRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsTestosteroneTranssexualismYoung AdultAndrogen AntagonistsEstrogensTestosterone

Identifiers

PMID31088823
PMCPMC6515308
OpenAlexW2945602723

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.