Susan's Place Transgender Resources

My sister went in for a breast cancer biopsy yesterday.

If it does turn out to be malignancy, I was wondering if it should affect  my decision to seek MTF HRT. I know if it's in the immediate family the odds on getting it has to be increased.

Quote from: JMJW on January 04, 2017, 12:41:53 AM
My sister went in for a breast cancer biopsy yesterday.

If it does turn out to be malignancy, I was wondering if it should affect  my decision to seek MTF HRT. I know if it's in the immediate family the odds on getting it has to be increased.

Let us hope it is benign.

I faced a similar dilemma as both my sister and mother had breast cancer. I was in the position to get tested for BRAC1 and BRAC2 genes which are linked to breast cancer development and I am positive.

I still decided that I would undergo HRT as living as a pretend man was not going to work out.

I make sure I do my regular breast checks and I have a mammogram every few years as all women in Australia are offered for free.
Whilst there is a (slightly) increased chance of breast carcinoma in transgender HRT reassigned women, compared to non-HRT reassigned males of the same age, it isn't very high as we haven't undergone the risk factors associated with cisgender females.

I don't worry about it.

I am concerned  in that she did take megadoses of vitamins for a long time. At least a dozen pills a day I told her to stop taking so much vitamin A after she got tinnitus in the ear, and some of the B vitamins she took were some 9000% of the recommended. Everyday. Pills designed for people  with serious deficiencies to take on a temporary basis. You try to explain these things, but they don't listen. But that would surely have to be a factor.

Quote from: JMJW on January 04, 2017, 01:17:22 AM
I am concerned  in that she did take megadoses of vitamins for a long time. At least a dozen pills a day I told her to stop taking so much vitamin A after she got tinnitus in the ear, and some of the B vitamins she took were some 9000% of the recommended. Everyday. Pills designed for people  with serious deficiencies to take on a temporary basis. You try to explain these things, but they don't listen.

That is an extremely unhealthy practice! Vitamin toxicity is well known and it is sad that people ignore basic health advice.

There is really no reason to take Vitamin supplements if you have a healthy diet. It is a waste of money.

Those pills were on top of the vitamins from eating. The reasoning was modern store bought food has all the nutrients removed from pesticides/farming practices and more must equal better. I have a bad feeling about this one.

Oh dear!

Hugs darling. I'll hang in with you as we await the report.

How old is she and has she had children? Is there a history of breast cancer in your mum, aunties, and grandmothers?

She's 30. Mother and grandmother are cancer free as far as I know. I'm told the results are coming this friday. Which for a hospital is real fast. I'm hoping she doesn't double down on the vitamins. Some people when they think they're sick tend to think they need even more.

Cindy, do your know transwomen need to start getting regular breast exams at the same age as cis-women, or can they safely delay it if they develop breasts late? Like me. I'm really not keen on getting screening.

Quote from: JMJW on January 04, 2017, 01:47:21 AM
She's 30. Mother and grandmother are cancer free as far as I know. I'm told the results are coming this friday. Which for a hospital is real fast. I'm hoping she doesn't double down on the vitamins. Some people when they think they're sick tend to think they need even more.

Oh it doesn't take long to look at a mammogram or to look at a biopsy. Lets keep our fingers crossed.

Quote from: AnonyMs on January 04, 2017, 01:50:19 AM
Cindy, do your know transwomen need to start getting regular breast exams at the same age as cis-women, or can they safely delay it if they develop breasts late? Like me. I'm really not keen on getting screening.

This is a difficult point as the medical literature is inadequate. Historically there were few prepubertal transitions so the argument was moot.

The understanding of breast cancer has gone through the roof and it is likely that breast examination becomes mandatory.  Many would say it isn't an issue, but best medical practice and affordable medical practice are two different things.  As you know I am a player and my colleagues just insist that I had the check ups. Would they insist on that for a non-colleague? Probably not.

As a case in point, check ups for my throat cancer are standard at 3 and 6 months, my surgeon; who is a professional colleague, at the end of my treatment sent me a timetable for a check every 4 weeks for the next 18 months. It takes 15mins with basically a camera down my throat, is it available to everyone? Probably not, is it necessary? Almost certainly not. Will I refuse it? No way.

In your case I would ask Dr H next time you see him to show you how to do a boob exam. It only takes a few minutes when you are having a shower and that is it! I don't think you have changed your gender marker with medicare so you will not get the mammogram letter.

To be honest the woman doing it was lovely and had no concerns who she was working with. That she had a large spray of air freshener next to the X-Ray machine probably indicated her major issue with clients!

That's about what I thought, thanks.

I did get the breastscreen letters and eventually went and had the mammogram done. I then got a "please come in for more tests" letter, which scared me a bit. The outcome of the further tests was that as my breasts were relatively "new" they did not present like the average 50-something woman's breasts - a bit too firm - ...but were healthy nonetheless.

I was glad to have had the tests done, even allowing for the brief fright.

Quote from: rosinstraya on January 06, 2017, 02:13:46 AM
...as my breasts were relatively "new" they did not present like the average 50-something woman's breasts - a bit too firm - ...

Were they suggesting you weren't saggy enough?!

Quote from: Cindy on January 04, 2017, 02:14:06 AM
...it is likely that breast examination becomes mandatory...

A shame they don't have a test that doesn't involve slamming your boob between two cold metal plates...!

Well I'm small, the tech was carful and considerate. She made sure I was not pinched. It wasn't a wonderful experience. But it was OK.

Quote from: Ms Grace on January 06, 2017, 02:50:28 AM

Quote from: Cindy on January 04, 2017, 02:14:06 AM
...it is likely that breast examination becomes mandatory...

A shame they don't have a test that doesn't involve slamming your boob between two cold metal plates...!

There is! How many needles do you want me to stick in to you?

Quote from: Cindy on January 06, 2017, 03:08:20 AM
A shame they don't have a test that doesn't involve slamming your boob between two cold metal plates...!


There is! How many needles do you want me to stick in to you?

Oh, this sounds an awful lot like my urologists proposed replacement for a prostate exam. Nope. Nope nope nopity nope.


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My mom passed away from breast cancer at age 49.
When I began transition in 2008, my family doctor immediately recommended mammograms. I get one every two years.
Never found the mammogram to be near as bad as what I was led to believe.

Results are in and while I didn't get any answer on what it is, my sister told my mother the doctor said it's not cancer. That said she has the kind of personality  that would reject conventional treatment and instead opt for prayer and alternative medicine. So who knows if that's right. Though as of right now it's a lucky escape for us all.  :P

I think we take that as good news that it isn't cancer.

Glad to hear it isn't cancer! Hopefully things look up from there.

My mom survived breast cancer. It's a thought I refuse to entertain until I have to though. Probably not even then either

There is no evidence as to estrogen CAUSING breast cancer and some findings challenge seriously the notion that estrogen can increase the risk as estrogen alone in two large randomized trials significantly reduced the risk in women and also in women close to menopause taking E and a progestin. Pregnancy, long-term, has been associated with a reduced frequency of breast cancer despite very high levels of E. Also, risk of breast cancer is highest in older women who have declining levels of E. Women taking E after having breast cancer did not show an increase in recurrence relative to those taking no E. E has also been used to treat breast cancer, with some success, sometimes in very high doses. Several conflicting studies.

In a recent study, it was concluded that the risk of breast cancer did not increase in transsexual women despite the use of estrogen, in sometimes very high doses in the past. The risk was deemed similar to cismen not taking HRT and lower relative to ciswomen.