In a study published in Cell Genomics, researchers recognized molecular changes in the breast tissue of transgender men who were going through androgen therapy that could indicate the possible use of it in the treatment or prevention of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Breast tissue samples from a total of nine transgender men who were going through gender-affirming androgen treatment along with subcutaneous mastectomy were investigated. These samples were compared with the breast tissues of cisgender women who had gotten cosmetic breast surgery. From the findings of the study, one of the study authors, Florian Raths, MS, had noted that from creating a collection of every breast cell type undergoing androgen therapy, the database can be valuable to researchers to examine cellular changes after exposure to androgen therapy. Director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer and Phase One Foundation Distinguished Chair, Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, said that this study was able to look into the interaction between androgen and estrogen, possibly contributing to novel cancer treatments.
Reference: Study Reveals New Understanding of How Androgen Therapy Affects Breast Tissue. The ASCO Post. Updated March 13, 2023. Accessed March 27, 2023. https://ascopost.com/news/march-2023/study-reveals-new-understanding-of-how-androgen-therapy-affects-breast-tissue/
