SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
In this episode, Dr. Morgentaler and Dr. Brandon unpack the myth that eunuchs never get prostate cancer and reveal how powerful stories — not science — shaped decades of medical belief about testosterone.
- 00:07 – The Story of Testosterone and Prostate Cancer: In this episode, Dr. Morgentaler and Dr. Brandon talk about how the belief that testosterone causes prostate cancer became so widely accepted — even without real evidence.
- 01:52 – Understanding Eunuchs and Historical Context: They explain who eunuchs were and how their story got tied to prostate cancer in a way that stuck for decades.
- 05:43 – The Castrati and Misconceptions: Dr. Morgentaler shares how the story of the castrati singers was used to support a medical myth, even though there was no real data behind it.
- 06:56 – Modern Research and Findings: They walk through what today’s research actually shows, including cases where people with little or no testosterone still developed prostate cancer.
- 14:19 – Conclusions and Reflections: They wrap up by reminding us how powerful stories can shape beliefs — even in medicine — and why it’s so important to keep questioning what we think we know.
Resources
- Morgentaler, A., & Caliber, M. (2019). Safety of testosterone therapy in men with prostate cancer. Expert Opinion on Drug Safety, 18(11), 1065–1076. https://doi.org/10.1080/14740338.2019.1666103
- Gooren, L., & Lips, P. (2014). Conjectures concerning cross-sex hormone treatment of aging transsexual persons. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 11(8), 2012–2019. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsm.12563
