Hormone therapy and cancer risks in transgender people: a systematic review.

Objective: To identify the available evidence on the risk of developing cancer in transgender people undergoing hormone therapy.

Methods: This was a rapid systematic review conducted in the PubMed, Embase, Virtual Health Library, Cochrane Library and Epistemonikos databases. Screening and data extraction were performed by independent reviewers using the Rayyan platform. Data extraction was carried out by 3 independent reviewers. We used the Joanna Briggs Institute checklists specific to cohort and case-control studies to assess the methodological quality of the included studies.

Results: Five studies were included, 4 cohort studies and 1 case-control. The risk of transgender people developing cancer while on hormone therapy was identified by 2 studies and not identified in 3 studies.

Conclusion: Despite studies with large sample sizes and rigorous selection criteria, the literature does not present a consensus on the association between hormone therapy and the development of cancer in transgender people.