AEGIS Recommends Breast Self-Examination (1995)

©1995 by Dallas Denny and American Educational Gender Information Service, Inc.

Source: AEGIS recommends breast self-examination. (1995). Decatur, GA: American Educational Gender Information Service, Inc.

 

 

 

Medical Advisory Material

Breast Self-Examination for Transgendered & Transsexual Persons

January, 1995

 

Advisory

AEGIS recommends that all MTF transsexual and transgendered persons who have experienced significant breast development from hormonal therapy do a breast self-examination on a monthly basis.

AEGIS recommends that all FTM transsexual and transgendered persons who have not had mastectomy/chest reconstruction do a breast self-examination on a monthly basis.

Those who find lumps or knots in their breasts should contact a physician immediately.

 

The Problem

Breast cancer is a major cause of death in women. Some scientists believe that it is related to exposure to estrogen, which is naturally produced by persons with female bodies, and is ingested or injected in large doses by MTF transsexual and transsexual people. Consequently, both MTF and FTM persons may be at significant risk for breast cancer.

 

Discussion

There have been no studies of the incidence of breast cancer in transsexual and transgendered persons. The medical literature contains only three reports of breast cancer in MTF persons.  However, cancer would be most likely to arise after a long period on female hormones, when most MTF individuals have established new lives and identities as women, and would be unlikely to reveal their transsexualism to physicians. We believe that the lack of reports of breast cancer in MTF people should not be interpreted as meaning that MTF persons are not at risk for this disease.

FTM persons often feel disassociated from their breasts, and do not perform breast self examinations because it reminds them that they have female bodies. However, until mastectomy or chest reconstruction takes place, and especially before initiation of testosterone therapy, they are at the same risk for breast cancer as are women.

Breast self-examination is quick and easy to perform, and can detect cancer in its early stages, when treatment is most effective. We believe that it only makes sense to perform this quick and easy procedure on a monthly basis.

 

The American Cancer Association publishes a booklet entitled How to Do Breast Self Examination. For a copy, call the American
Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345, or contact AEGIS at P.O. Box 33724, Decatur, GA 30033 / Phone (770) 939-0244 / FAX (770) 939-1770 / e-mail aegis@mindspring.com.