Search is Powered by Google
Urology / Nephrology News

Testosterone Therapy In Hypogonadal Men And Potential Prostate Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review

Main Category: Urology / Nephrology
Also Included In: Prostate / Prostate Cancer;  Men's health
Article Date: 13 Oct 2008 - 3:00 PST

email icon email to a friend   printer icon printer friendly   write icon view / write opinions   rate icon rate article
Current Article Ratings:

Patient / Public:5 stars

5 (5 votes)

Health Professional:not yet rated

Article Opinions: 0 posts

UroToday.com - In the online edition of the International Journal of Impotence Research, Dr. R. Shabsigh and his associates presented a systematic review of testosterone therapy for hypogonadism and its relation to prostate cancer (CaP). The data did not suggest that testosterone therapy is associated with increased CaP risk in hypogonadal men nor demonstrate a consistent effect on PSA levels.

The benefits of testosterone therapy include improvements in low libido, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, decreased muscle strength, bone mineral density, increased body fat, anemia, hot flashes, and mood changes. It is balanced by potential adverse effects of BPH, sleep apnea, gynecomastia, erythrocytosis, testicular atrophy, fluid retention and local reaction at injection sites.

The systematic review ultimately evaluated 44 articles meeting inclusion criteria. Of these studies, 11 were placebo controlled, randomized trials, and 29 not placebo controlled (15 prospective and 14 retrospective). In the placebo-controlled trials, CaP was detected in 7 of 542 men on testosterone therapy (1.3%) and in 5 of 333 men on placebo (1.5%). The CaP incidences from the studies varied from 0% for both groups to 9.5% for the testosterone therapy group and 21% for the placebo group. CaP was detected as early as at 3 months in the patients receiving testosterone therapy and at 6 months in the placebo groups. In both groups prostrate volume increased to a similar degree over the 3-year study periods. Histologic changes in men on testosterone therapy did not differ from placebo patients. In the non-placebo controlled trials, several cases of CaP were detected in men on testosterone therapy for 7, 15 and 35 years. Otherwise no clear difference was identified.

Studies of testosterone therapy in men with a history of CaP were also examined. Four studies (1 prospective and 3 retrospective) showed no evidence of CaP recurrence over periods of 6 months to 12 years.

Shabsigh R, Crawford ED, Nehra A, Slawin KM
Int J Impot Res. 2008 Jul 17. Epub ahead of print.
doi:10.1038/ijir.2008.31

Written by UroToday.com Contributing Editor Christopher P. Evans, MD, FACS

UroToday - the only urology website with original content written by global urology key opinion leaders actively engaged in clinical practice.

To access the latest urology news releases from UroToday, go to: www.urotoday.com

Copyright © 2008 - UroToday




Personalized Homepage Weekly Newsletters Daily News Alerts
Opioid Induced Constipation ADHD Anxiety Asthma Autism Cancer Diabetes Lung Cancer Lupus Medicare / Medicaid Obesity and BMI Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells All 'What Is...' Articles All 'How To...' Articles

Ophthalmology Urology
About Us News Licensing Free Website Feeds Free Tools & Content Tell a Friend Accessibility Help / FAQ Article Submission Links Contact Us

add medical news today to your facebook
medical news gadget

Swine Flu Image

Swine Flu Updates

- Latest Swine Flu News
- What is Swine Flu?
- Map Of H1N1 Outbreaks
- Swine Flu - Top 20 FAQ
- Daily Email News Alerts
Stick with Medical News Today for the latest news updates on swine flu.


These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Top Article Star
Frequent Sex And Masturbation In 20s And 30s Linked To Higher Prostate Cancer, But Risks Diminish With Age
26 Jan 2009
Men who are very sexually active in their twenties and thirties are more likely to develop prostate cancer, especially if they masturbate frequently, according to a study of more than 800 men published in the January issue of BJU International...


Talking with Your Doctor image Talking with Your Doctor

Talking with your doctor can sometimes be difficult. Good health care, however, depends on an open dialogue between patients and doctors...

Talking with Your Doctor image Talking with Your Doctor

Talking with your doctor can sometimes be difficult. Good health care, however, depends on an open dialogue between patients and doctors...

View more videos...