Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38956693›Full record

ArticleBreast cancer research : BCR2024

Effect of testosterone therapy on breast tissue composition and mammographic breast density in trans masculine individuals.

Yujing J Heng, Gabrielle M Baker, Valerie J Fein-Zachary, Yaileen D Guzman-Arocho, Vanessa C Bret-Mounet, Erica S Massicott, Vanda F Torous, Stuart J Schnitt, Sy Gitin, Paul Russo and 8 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Breast cancer research : BCR, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Non-Medical Gender Affirming Practices Among Transgender Individuals: A Systematic Review on the Health Implications of Chest Binding and Genital Tucking.International journal of sexual health : official journal of the World Association for Sexual Health · 2026
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Yujing J HengDepartment of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Ave, Dana 517B, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. yheng@bidmc.harvard.edu.
Gabrielle M BakerDepartment of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Ave, Dana 517B, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
Valerie J Fein-ZacharyDepartment of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Yaileen D Guzman-ArochoDepartment of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Ave, Dana 517B, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
Vanessa C Bret-MounetDepartment of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Ave, Dana 517B, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
Erica S MassicottDepartment of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Ave, Dana 517B, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
Vanda F TorousDepartment of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Stuart J SchnittDana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute-Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Sy GitinThe Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
Paul RussoThe Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
Adam M TobiasDepartment of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Richard A BartlettDepartment of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Gopal VarmaDepartment of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Despina KontosDepartments of Radiology, Biomedical Informatics, and Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Lusine YaghjyanDepartment of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions and College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Michael S IrwigDepartment of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Jennifer E PotterThe Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
Gerburg M WulfDepartment of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Funding

The role of breast stem cells in breast cancer etiology and risk predictionR01CA240341 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · PI YAGHJYAN, LUSINE · 2020 to 2023
$1.4M
Gender-affirming estrogen therapy and breast cancer treatment outcomeR21CA267088 · NCI · BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER · PI HENG, YU JING JAN, WULF, GERBURG M · 2022 to 2023
$536k
Gender-Affirming Testosterone Therapy on Breast Cancer Risk and Treatment OutcomesR56CA284564 · NCI · BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER · PI HENG, YU JING JAN, WULF, GERBURG M · 2023 to 2023
$300k
BCRF 17-174NCI NIH HHS R01 CA240341NCI NIH HHS R21 CA267088NCI NIH HHS R56 CA284564NIH NCI 1R21CA267088NIH NCI 2P50CA168504-06A1NIH NCI R01CA240341
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe effect of gender-affirming testosterone therapy (TT) on breast cancer risk is unclear. This study investigated the association between TT and breast tissue composition and breast tissue density in trans masculine individuals (TMIs).

methodsOf the 444 TMIs who underwent chest-contouring surgeries between 2013 and 2019, breast tissue composition was assessed in 425 TMIs by the pathologists (categories of lobular atrophy and stromal composition) and using our automated deep-learning algorithm (% epithelium, % fibrous stroma, and % fat). Forty-two out of 444 TMIs had mammography prior to surgery and their breast tissue density was read by a radiologist. Mammography digital files, available for 25/42 TMIs, were analyzed using the LIBRA software to obtain percent density, absolute dense area, and absolute non-dense area. Linear regression was used to describe the associations between duration of TT use and breast tissue composition or breast tissue density measures, while adjusting for potential confounders. Analyses stratified by body mass index were also conducted.

resultsLonger duration of TT use was associated with increasing degrees of lobular atrophy (p < 0.001) but not fibrous content (p = 0.82). Every 6 months of TT was associated with decreasing amounts of epithelium (exp(β) = 0.97, 95% CI 0.95,0.98, adj p = 0.005) and fibrous stroma (exp(β) = 0.99, 95% CI 0.98,1.00, adj p = 0.05), but not fat (exp(β) = 1.01, 95%CI 0.98,1.05, adj p = 0.39). The effect of TT on breast epithelium was attenuated in overweight/obese TMIs (exp(β) = 0.98, 95% CI 0.95,1.01, adj p = 0.14). When comparing TT users versus non-users, TT users had 28% less epithelium (exp(β) = 0.72, 95% CI 0.58,0.90, adj p = 0.003). There was no association between TT and radiologist's breast density assessment (p = 0.58) or LIBRA measurements (p > 0.05).

conclusionsTT decreases breast epithelium, but this effect is attenuated in overweight/obese TMIs. TT has the potential to affect the breast cancer risk of TMIs. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the effect of TT on breast density and breast cancer risk.

Indexed as

BreastBreast DensityMammographyTestosteroneTransgender PersonsAdultBody Mass IndexBreast NeoplasmsFemaleGender-Affirming ProceduresHumansMaleMiddle AgedTestosteroneBreast cancer riskGender-affirming hormonesHormone replacement therapyNon binary peopleTop surgeryTransgender health disparitiesTrans men

Identifiers

PMID38956693
PMCPMC11221014

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.