Testosterone Replacement May Be Safe After Prostate Cancer
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Mar 23 – Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) appears safe for men who experience hypogonadal symptoms after brachytherapy for prostate cancer.
“Men who have undergone potentially curative treatment for prostate cancer but also suffer from severe effects of hypogonadism may benefit from a trial of testosterone replacement, with close monitoring of the PSA,” Dr. Michael F. Sarosdy from South Texas Urology and Urologic Oncology, San Antonio, told Reuters Health. “In our experience, most have done well.
This is the first study that I have seen that recommended testosterone replacement after brachytherapy for prostate cancer.
The concern is that testosterone can help make any viable cancer cells grow faster. Since patients with hypogonadism (symptoms of low testosterone) have benefit from having normal levels and most patients with prostate cancer have normal levels of testosterone that we do not suppress, the true risk of a normal testosterone is probably low.
I usually do not like recommending testosterone replacement in any of my prostate cancer patients.