Testosterone Treatment May Not Pose Risk To Prostate Cancer Patients

The findings of new research suggest that testosterone replacement therapy may be safer than once believed for men with a history of prostate problems.

In a study published in the The Journal of Sexual Medicine on January 21, researchers from universities across the U.S. indicate that use of medications like AndroGel, AndroDerm, Testim and other androgen replacement medications do not appear to increase the risk of patients dying from prostate cancer.

Testosterone treatments have been increasingly prescribed in recent years to men who have trouble producing the hormone on their own, resulting in a condition known as hypogonadism, which can cause decreased strength, energy and sexual function.

Warnings on testosterone replacement therapy currently indicate that use of the medications may pose a health risk for patients with enlarged prostates, or those who are suffering from prostate cancer. However, the findings of this new study raise questions about whether those warnings are necessary.

Researchers looked at data on nearly 150,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer from 1992 through 2007, with about 1,181 of them receiving testosterone replacement therapy. Overall mortality was lower in the group receiving testosterone therapy than in those who did not receive it.

The study concluded that testosterone therapy is not associated with increased risk of cancer-specific mortality and called for more confirmative studies. If the findings can be confirmed, the researchers said testosterone treatment could be considered for men with a history of prostate cancer.

Testosterone Treatment Health Risks

The findings come amid increasing concerns about the potential side effects of testosterone therapy, including a potential increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and death that some men may face as a result of treatments.

In November 2013, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that that veterans with heart problems faced an increased rate of cardiovascular problems from testosterone treatments. Researchers from the Veterans Affairs Eastern Colorado Health Care System reviewed data involving 8,700 veterans who underwent a coronary angiography and had low testosterone levels. Among the 1,223 men who were given testosterone therapy, including gels, patches or injections, the rate of death, heart attacks and strokes was 29% higher than the men who did not receive testosterone supplements.

Another study released earlier this month raised serious questions about the widespread use of AndroGel and other testosterone treatments in the United States, which have become a $2 billion industry. Research published in the current edition of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism indicates that many men in the United States are receiving prescriptions for testosterone gel, testosterone injections and testosterone patches when they have normal testosterone levels and may not need the replacement therapy.

Amid these findings, a number of men are now considering potential testosterone treatment lawsuits, alleging that the manufacturers provided false and misleading information for consumers and the medical community, withholding important safety information about the risk of heart attacks, strokes and death from testosterone replacement therapy.