2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) - Posters-P3.01D.03 Evaluating Lung Cancer Disparities Among Transgender Populations: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis

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This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of lung cancer in transgender individuals compared to cisgender counterparts and assess the impact of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) on lung cancer risk. Utilizing deidentified electronic medical records from the TriNetX database, the largest cohort of transgender patients was formed, including 52,847 trans men and 38,114 trans women. These cohorts were categorized by age and GAHT status, and their age-stratified lung cancer incidences were compared to those of a cisgender cohort.<br /><br />Lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S., with transgender individuals facing disproportionate exposure to risk factors like cigarette smoke. However, the influence of GAHT, involving therapies like testosterone for trans men and estrogen for trans women, on lung cancer risk has not been well-studied.<br /><br />Key findings from this study include:<br /><br />1. Transgender men who are naïve to testosterone therapy (i.e., have not undergone testosterone treatment) exhibit a significantly increased risk of developing lung cancer compared to cisgender females.<br /><br />2. No significant difference in lung cancer risk was observed concerning those undergoing gender-affirming hormone therapies using either estrogen or testosterone.<br /><br />These findings suggest a potential inherent increased risk of lung cancer in transgender men not yet on testosterone therapy compared to cisgender females, warranting further investigation into the underlying causes. However, gender-affirming hormone therapy does not appear to significantly alter lung cancer risk based on the current data set from this specific cohort. The study highlights the necessity for continued research on the health implications of gender-affirming treatments in transgender populations.

Asset Subtitle

Tomasz Tabernacki

Meta Tag

Speaker Tomasz Tabernacki

Topic Risk Factors, Risk Reduction & Tobacco Control

Keywords

lung cancer

transgender individuals

cisgender counterparts

gender-affirming hormone therapy

GAHT

testosterone therapy

estrogen therapy

cancer risk

TriNetX database

transgender health