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In this episode, Dr. Brandon and Dr. Morgentaler talk about the long-standing belief that testosterone therapy increases the risk of prostate cancer, a fear that has influenced medical guidelines and practice for decades.
- 2:23 – Charles Huggins and Prostate Cancer Theory: Dr. Morgentaler discusses Charles Huggins’ Nobel-winning research that suggested testosterone could fuel prostate cancer growth.
- 19:56 – Impact of Low Testosterone on Quality of Life: Many men with low testosterone experience significant issues with energy, mood, and sexual health.
- 29:17 – The 94-Year-Old Patient’s Influence: A 94-year-old patient’s decision to try testosterone therapy led Dr. Morgentaler to rethink the risks traditionally associated with treatment.
- 33:16 – The TRAVERSE Trial’s Findings: This pivotal study demonstrated no increased prostate cancer risk among men receiving testosterone therapy compared to those who did not.
- 39:13 – Why Women Don’t Get Prostate Cancer: Despite having analogous glandular tissue, women rarely develop prostate cancer, a topic Dr. Morgentaler examines.
Resources
- Huggins, C. (1941). Studies on prostatic cancer: The effects of castration, of estrogen and of androgen injection on serum phosphatases in metastatic carcinoma of the prostate. Cancer Research, 1(4), 293-297. https://doi.org/10.1158/ajc.1941.293
- Morgentaler, A., Bruning, E. O., & DeWolf, W. C. (1996). Occult prostate cancer in men with low serum testosterone levels. Journal of the American Medical Association, 275(24), 1904-1906. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1996.03530480058034
- Glaser, R., & Dimitrakakis, C. (2004). Reduced breast cancer incidence in women treated with subcutaneous testosterone implants. Maturitas, 49(4), 333-338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2004.04.011
- Lincoff, A. M., Harman, S. M., Mora, S., Bhatt, D. L., Carson, C., Cejka, M., … & TRAVERSE Investigators. (2023). Cardiovascular and other long-term outcomes with testosterone use in men. New England Journal of Medicine, 388(6), 495–505. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2215025
