A case report of gender-affirming mastectomy in a transgender individual with breast cancer

Abstract

Background: Gender-affirming mastectomy (GAM), in contrast to simple mastectomy (SM), utilizes preservation of subcutaneous and breast tissue to produce a cosmetically favorable result for transgender patients, however does not remove all future malignancy risk. Here we present a case report of a transmale patient who was evaluated for GAM and subsequently found to have a malignant breast mass, necessitating multi-disciplinary intervention and coordination between breast and plastic surgery teams. This patient's unique and rare presentation with breast cancer prior to GAM emphasized the paucity of previously detailed cases in the literature and demonstrated the likely degree of variability in decision-making for treatment of these patients without universal guidelines for management. Case description: The patient is a 47-year-old African American transgender male who was found to have a 3-cm breast mass on routine pre-operative mammographic screening prior to GAM. Pathology confirmed grade II invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and further genetic testing showed the patient was BRCA2 positive. The breast and plastic surgery teams coordinated the GAM to best address the mass while achieving cosmetic goals. This case was complicated by positive nipple margins on intra-operative cold specimen, which necessitated deviation from the initial plan to perform bilateral nipple grafts, and instead utilized excess areolar tissue from the left nipple to reconstruct the contralateral right nipple. Graft survival and overall repair quality at 6 weeks was satisfactory to both patient and provider. Conclusions: This case highlights several of the challenges encountered when considering or performing GAMs in transmale patients with underlying breast cancer. Surgical considerations for these patients differ from cisgender individuals undergoing mastectomy for oncologic breast findings. Further research is needed to better determine the ideal operative practice and ideal follow-up screening for these patients.