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Testosterone replacement therapy and the prostate

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Abstract

The major risk concern of testosterone replacement therapy in middle-aged and older men is that it may lead to an increase in the incidence and severity of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate carcinoma. While this concern is based on the role of androgens in the development and maintenance of these prostate diseases and the use of castration to treat both BPH and prostate cancer, a paucity of data from clinical trials of testosterone replacement exists to support or refute these concerns. Data from testosterone replacement therapy trials to date have demonstrated only a minor effect of testosterone therapy on parameters related to BPH, serum prostate-specific antigen levels, or the development of prostate cancer, but the study population has been highly selected and the total evaluation experience is very limited. This review article summarizes what is known to date about the effect of testosterone replacement on the prostate in adult men.

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    J. Lisa Tenover MD, PhD

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Lisa Tenover, J. Testosterone replacement therapy and the prostate. Curr sex health rep 4, 79–82 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11930-007-0006-1

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