Associations of testosterone, SHBG, and related hormones with risks of cancer death, incident cancer, and incident prostate cancer

[madman]

In conclusion, men with lower testosterone concentrations had higher risk of cancer death, and men with mid-range SHBG or luteinising hormone concentrations had lower risk. Low testosterone concentrations were associated with risk of any fatal or non-fatal incident cancer. Men with lower SHBG or luteinising hormone concentrations had a higher risk of incident prostate cancer, whereas testosterone was not associated with this outcome. Although the possibility of confounding from unmeasured variables should be remembered, these findings are consistent with lower testosterone concentrations being a bio-marker for, or possible contributor to, cancer-related ill health, excluding prostate cancer. Additional investigation to explore how SHBG and luteinising hormone might be associated with cancer mortality, and incident prostate cancer, is warranted.