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prostate cancer

Is there a protective role of testosterone against high-grade prostate cancer?

 


Historically, testosterone has almost been a synonym for prostate cancer, and therefore many men have been - and still are - denied testosterone therapy, despite having testosterone deficiency.[1]

A rapidly growing number of studies have challenged the long-standing belief about a putative detrimental association between testosterone and prostate cancer development and/or progression.[2-5] Here I summarize the results of a study published in The Aging Male, which investigated the incidence and severity of prostate cancer in testosterone treated versus non-testosterone treated patients who underwent prostate biopsy.[1]

 
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Testosterone Therapy in Men with Prostate Cancer – Yes or No?

Historically, prostate cancer – both active and treated - has been an absolute contraindication to testosterone therapy and – from a regulatory perspective – still is. The incidence of prostate cancer is higher in older men, in whom prostate cancer accounts for one in five new cancer diagnoses.[1]
 
Thanks to improvement in early detection and treatment of prostate cancer, prostate cancer mortality has decreased 50% during the past two decades, and more men are living with a history of prostate cancer. 
 
The aging of the male population and the increasing number of prostate cancer survivors have resulted in a significant increase in the number of men presenting with hypogonadism and treated prostate cancer. Therefore, it is important to consider the growing number of recent studies which have challenged the long-standing belief that prostate cancer is an absolute contraindication to testosterone therapy.[2-4]
 
Here I summarize the results of a notable study which investigated the effects of testosterone therapy in men with treated and untreated prostate cancer [5], and conclude with the latest recommendations on managing testosterone deficiency in men with history of prostate cancer.
 
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Dispelling the myth of testosterone treatment and prostate cancer

 
Fear of prostate cancer remains one of the major concerns with testosterone therapy among doctors, and reason to deny suffering hypogonadal men testosterone treatment.[1, 2]
 
This fear persists despite mounting research over the past decade that has clearly refuted the belief that testosterone therapy increased risk of prostate cancer among men in the general population.[3-5]
 
Aside prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with its associated lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are also common concerns with testosterone therapy.[6]
 
In this article I summarize and comment on the results of the Registry of Hypogonadism in Men (RHYME) study; a large, multi-national prospective registry of men with testosterone deficiency, which was designed and powered specifically to assess prostate cancer outcomes in hypogonadal men receiving testosterone therapy compared with untreated hypogonadal men or general population estimates.[7]- 
 
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Video Summary: Testosterone Deficiency and Treatment - International Expert Consensus Resolutions

In a previous article "Testosterone Deficiency and Treatment - the FACTS" I presented the conclusions from an International Expert Consensus Conference on Testosterone Deficiency and Its Treatment.[1]
 
Here I summarize the key points, and link to a video summary by Dr. Abraham Morgentaler, an internationally renowned testosterone scientist and clinician.
 
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Testosterone Deficiency and Treatment - the FACTS

 
Testosterone deficiency and treatment is a very misunderstood and controversial topic among scientists, regulatory agencies (such as the FDA and EMA) and doctors, as well as the popular media.
 
On October 1, 2015, an international expert consensus conference about testosterone deficiency and its treatment was held in Prague, sponsored by King’s College London and the International Society for the Study of the Aging Male (ISSAM). The impetus for this meeting was to address the widespread misinformation and confusion about testosterone deficiency and testosterone therapy.[1]
 
The ultimate goal of this consensus conference was to document what is true or untrue about testosterone deficiency and testosterone therapy, to the best degree possible based on existing scientific and clinical evidence.
 
There were 18 experts from 11 countries on 4 continents. Specialties included urology, endocrinology, internal medicine, diabetology, and basic science research. Experts were invited on the basis of extensive clinical experience with testosterone deficiency and its treatment and/or research experience.
 
The final consensus on several key issues related to testosterone therapy was published in the form of 9 resolutions (i.e. firm decisions), coupled with expert comments.[2] These are summarized in table 1.
 
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Survival and cardiovascular events in men on testosterone treatment

On the surface, testosterone therapy is a controversial treatment because previous studies investigating the effects of testosterone therapy have been conflicting, with some studies showing supposed harm and others showing significant benefit.
 
Here I summarize the results of a new study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology on May 7 2016, which addressed some shortcomings in previous studies by analyzing effects based on duration of testosterone treatment.[1]
 
 
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Everything We Learned About TESTOSTERONE Is WRONG - video presentation by Dr. Morgentaler

Historically testosterone therapy was only indicated in men with pituitary tumors and testicular dysfunction. Dr. Morgentaler pioneered the field when he started to treat men – who did not have any underlying pituitary tumors and testicular dysfunction - with Low-T with testosterone therapy. His patients reported improved erections, libido, orgasm, as well as increased energy, mood, cognition and wellbeing.
 
This use of testosterone therapy in otherwise healthy men defied standard medical practice in the 1990s...
 
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