When it comes to testosterone, think of Goldilocks and the three bears: you don’t want much, and you don’t want too much. There are health risks or extreme. You want to be right, in the normal range.
‘After radical prostatectomy, If you have an undetectable PSA and your testosterone is low, it is okay to get some complementary testosterone to repair it in normal range“Says Weill Cornell Medicine Urologist Jim C. Hu, MD, MPH I recently interviewing the Prostate Cancer Foundation websiteand Jim’s expert opinion was also presented to our book. What is the normal range? In our book, co-author Edward “Ted” Schaeffer, MD, Ph.D., president of Urology at Northwestern University, says it is between 300 and 800 ng/dl. (If you look on the internet, you can see the normal range as high as 1,000 to 1,200 ng/dl, but I trust and respect Ted Schaeffer’s advice.)
Restoration of normal testosterone levels has become a more common practice in recent years, HU notes. “People were worried you pouring gas into a fire,” adding testosterone to prostate cancer – But if there is no prostate tissue, and the supplement only brings testosterone back to where it should be, it is safe. Look at it in this way: It’s not like repeating testosterone to your body, like bringing wolves back to an area of wildlife where they had disappeared. You already have testosterone. You just bring it to the normal level. “There is no evidence that repairing testosterone levels in your normal range makes it more likely to have a repetition of prostate cancer if you have undetectable PSA after surgery.”
During a meeting of 2024 of the American Urological Union in San Antonio, HU and his colleagues presented results from a population study examining the SEER data (the epidemiology and final results of the National Institute) and Medicare. ‘We’ve found it Men receiving testosterone supplementation at normal level after surgery do not run a higher risk of mortality for specific prostate cancer. “More recently, they looked at the SEER and Medicare data for men with lower risk prostate cancer in active monitoring that was treated with testosterone replacement.” These men did not have an increased risk of developing aggressive disease or dying of prostate cancer. “
‘There are health risks from testosterone below the range where it should be,“Hu says,” including a higher risk of heart attack, loss of muscle mass and bone density, higher risk of cognitive impairment and higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome, which can lead to diabetes. “
Due to the advantages of testosterone restoration in the normal range, “In men diagnosed with low -risk prostate cancer in active monitoring, men with undetectable PSA after surgery or men with low, fixed PSA after successful response to radiotherapy, Completion of testosterone becomes a more acceptable practice. ”
For men who have undergone radiotherapy, HU recommends waiting two years before examining testosterone complement, “to make sure the PSA has tended in the proper way.” NOTE: If you choose to start completing testosterone (after radiation or surgery), it is vital to do this in combination with a doctor and continue to monitor your PSA closely, along with regular blood to monitor hepatic operation and blood numbers.
In addition to the book, I have written about this story and much more about prostate cancer on the prostate cancer website, Pcf.org. The stories I wrote are under the categories, “understanding prostate cancer” and “for patients”. As we have said for years Patrick Walsh; Knowledge is power: Saving your life can start with the transition to the doctor and know the right questions you need to ask. I hope all men put prostate cancer on their radar. Take a basic PSA blood test in the early 1940s and if you are African descent or if the cancer and/or prostate cancer runs to your family, you should regularly examine for the disease. Many doctors do not do this, so it is up to you to ask for it.
© Janet Farrar Worthington
