[Testosterone replacement therapy and prostate cancer: the downfall of a paradigm?].
For six decades, it has been a part of the conventional medical wisdom that higher levels of testosterone increase the risk of prostate cancer. This belief is mostly derived from the well-documented regression of prostate cancer after surgical or pharmacological castration. However, there is an absence of scientific data supporting the concept that higher testosterone levels are associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. Moreover, men with hypogonadism have substantial rates of prostate cancer in prostatic biopsies, suggesting that low testosterone has no protective effect against the development of prostate cancer. Moreover, prostate cancer rate is higher in elderly patients when hormonal levels are low. These results argue against an increased risk of prostate cancer with testosterone replacement therapy.
Unidad de Urología, Clínica INDISA, Santiago, Chile; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile. Address: Av. Santa María #1810, Providencia, Santiago, Chile. Email: ivarvidal@gmail.com.
Octavio A
OA
Castillo
Unidad de Urología, Clínica INDISA, Santiago, Chile.
Gastón
G
López-Fontana
Unidad de Urología, Clínica INDISA, Santiago, Chile.
Ivar
I
Vidal-Mora
Cátedra de Urología, Facultad Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina.
José Daniel
JD
López Laur
D000368:Aged; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D009919:Orchiectomy / Q000379:methods; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013739:Testosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects
D013739:Testosterone
familial; testosterone; hypogonadism; hormone replacement therapy; prostate cancer