A study published online December 27, 2023 JAMA Network Open. Confirms prior research showing that testosterone substitute therapy (TRT) in men with documented low testosterone levels doesn't increase the danger of prostate cancer in comparison with men who don't use TRT.
Researchers recruited 5,246 men with hypogonadism (a condition wherein the testicles don't produce enough testosterone), no family history of prostate cancer, and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of three nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml). ml) is lower than A number related to a lower risk of prostate cancer. The researchers randomly divided the boys into two groups.
For 14 months, the boys used either a topical testosterone gel at a dose designed to keep up normal testosterone levels, or an inactive (placebo) gel. The researchers measured PSA levels and performed digital rectal exams of the prostate at regular intervals over the following three years. By the tip of this era, the variety of men diagnosed with prostate cancer was equally low in each the testosterone and placebo groups. Those within the TRT group saw their PSA levels increase throughout the first yr of using the gel. However, the rise was small, and PSA levels didn't rise again after that, in line with the researchers. Testosterone users also reported a number of symptoms of an enlarged prostate, resembling frequent urination, difficulty urinating, and dribbling.
The study was limited to men with hypogonadism who were at low risk for prostate cancer, so it's unclear how TRT might affect men at high risk or those that use high doses of testosterone, long-term. , or to treat other conditions.
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