Key Takeaways
Transmasculine and gender diverse people face no increased cancer risk from testosterone therapy
Testosterone did not cause any cases of gynecologic cancer in nearly 2,000 patients
However, more research is needed into the long-term effects of hormone therapy
FRIDAY, May 16, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Transmasculine and gender diverse people who use testosterone are not at an increased risk for cervical, ovarian or other gynecological cancers, a new study says.
The results show that hormone therapy can safely be used to induce physical changes more in line with a person’s gender identity, as far as cancer goes, researchers said.
“We found no increased risk of these cancers compared to women from the general population,” lead researcher Asra Vestering, a doctoral candidate with Amsterdam University Medical Center in The Netherlands, said in a news release.
“None of these cancers were diagnosed in the entire participant group,” she said. “This is valuable information for both healthcare providers and transmasculine and gender-diverse people who are considering starting hormone therapy."
The study focused on 1,955 people assigned female at birth who identified as male, non-binary or otherwise gender non-conforming.
These folks were prescribed testosterone at the Amsterdam University Medical Center between February 1972 and December 2018, and researchers tracked their health to see if hormone therapy increased their risk of cancer.
The results indicate that “short-term testosterone use among relatively young … individuals is not associated with an increased risk of gynecological malignancies compared to the general population assigned female at birth,” researchers concluded.
In fact, no cases at all of gynecologic cancer were found among the study’s participants.
Results also showed that in some of the people the innermost lining of the uterus (endometrium) was still active or signs of ovulation were observed, despite the use of testosterone.
“This is not only relevant for long-term health, but also means that despite testosterone use, there is still a chance of pregnancy,” Vestering said. “That is why good gynecological care and contraceptive care remains essential for this group, even after the start of hormone therapy."
Many transmasculine and gender-diverse people choose to start hormone therapy without necessarily proceeding to sex change surgery, researchers noted.
“Follow-up research into the effects of long-term testosterone use remains necessary, so that care can be further tailored to safety and quality of life,” Vestering said.
The study, published May 12, appears in the journal eClinicalMedicine.
More information
The Mayo Clinic has more on masculinizing hormone therapy.
SOURCE: Amsterdam University Medical Center, news release, May 12, 2025
What This Means For You
People can take masculinizing testosterone therapy without short-term risk for gynecological cancers, researchers say.
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