Integrative review on breast cancer screening in the transgender population: what do we know?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29289/2594539420210051Keywords:
transgender persons, early detection of cancer, breastAbstract
The lack of formal breast cancer screening guidelines for the transgender population and the unpreparedness of health
professionals to provide adequate health care to this population are described in the literature. The objective of this integrative
review was to present the proposals for breast cancer screening in the transgender population, based on the literature, being
searched in the Medline, PubMed, SciELO, and Lilacs databases. The articles that addressed breast cancer screening in the
female and/or male transgender population were selected, in addition to the associated studies with the use of hormone
therapy and breast cancer in transgender people, using the terms such as “transgender people,” “early cancer diagnosis,”
and “breast.” Of the 38 articles selected, 24 address recommendations for breast cancer screening in the female and/or male
transgender population. There is limited population-based information on mammography screening in transgender people,
which ultimately affects the analysis of cancer incidence in this population. The literature supports screening in the male
transgender profile (similar to the female cisgender). In transgender females, recommendations are implemented based on
expert’s opinions, such as mammographic screening after 5 years of hormone use. More studies on this subject are needed.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Maria Julia Gregorio Calas, Rebeca Fernandes de Azevedo Dantas, Carolina Bantim Ciscotto, Bruna Galper, Ingrid Meira Lopes de Carvalho, Juliana Moreira Guerra
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