prostate-report.org

Testosterone replacement in prostate cancer survivors with hypogonadal symptoms

There controversy over the role of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in men with prostate cancer who are “hypogonadal” continues — i.e., men with very low testosterone levels — as a consequence of their treatment.

A new study at University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA, USA., has reviewed the records of 96 patients who received TRT after initial management for prostate cancer between 2000 and 2007 in an attempt to describe the clinical outcomes of TRT in these prostate cancer survivors.

The study authors conclude that, “While most men in this series had increasing PSA levels during TRT, stopping TRT typically resulted in PSA declines. A subset of men were able to remain on TRT for several years without disease progression.”

It seems likely to The “New” Prostate Cancer InfoLink that this report gives us a very good picture of the outcomes of TRT in the “real world.” Some patients are able to handle it, and others have an early biochemical recurrence of their cancer in response to TRT.

The question is going to be whether we can get better at identifying the men who are able to receive TRT with minimal risk of PSA recurrence.