TRT and Prostate

[Ronnny]

I am not on TRT yest but considering TRT. Currently I do not have any issue with prostate. Does anyone know if TRT causes prostate cancer?


does TRT promote prostate growth?

TRT increases the chance of getting prostate cancer?

 

[BigBamBoo]

Before starting TRT my PSA was 0.3 my last blood check showed it was 0.4

I am sure others will chime in and post links to acticles, etc.

 

[Blackhawk]

The short answer is no. It does not "cause" prostate cancer. It is however a player in cancers that already exist that are affected by androgens.

Do a search of this forum. You find a treasure trove: https://www.excelmale.com/community/search/16303/?q=prostate&c[title_only]=1&o=date

 

[Systemlord]

There is no indication TRT causes anything other than affecting fertility, there were some seriously flawed studies that came out that claimed TRT causes prostate cancer, but those were debunked.

The studies are actually finding a link of low testosterone and prostate cancer.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy and Prostate Cancer Incidence
Testosterone Therapy in Men With Prostate Cancer
Testosterone supplementation after prostate cancer

 

[Ronnny]

Before starting TRT my PSA was 0.3 my last blood check showed it was 0.4

I am sure others will chime in and post links to acticles, etc.

So it seems like your PSA went up, indication that TRT contribute to prostate cancer may be.

 

[Ronnny]

The short answer is no. It does not "cause" prostate cancer. It is however a player in cancers that already exist that are affected by androgens.

Do a search of this forum. You find a treasure trove: https://www.excelmale.com/community/search/16303/?q=prostate&c[title_only]=1&o=date

Is there any test that can screen for prostate cancer ?

 

[Systemlord]

So it seems like your PSA went up, indication that TRT contribute to prostate cancer may be.

It's said by many doctors that PSA is a poor screening method for prostate cancer, our understanding in prostate issues is seriously lacking.

You asked if TRT causes prostate cancer and the answer is a resounding No if you go by all the studies. A biopsy is the only way to diagnose prostate cancer and many men have prostate cancer and that won't be what kills them. Men have lived with prostate cancer for decades with no ill effects and even gone on TRT with no issues at all, in fact some of those that started TRT saw a reversal of prostate cancer.

 

[MarkM]

Hi Ronny, welcome to the dorum!

I've had doctor's tell me they prefer using the digital rectal exam over the PSA test.

 

[Blackhawk]

PSA (along with digital rectal exam) remains the usual standard for initial testing despite its flaws . The next step is PSA with %free PSA. Then there are a range of other options. The ones I have in mind based on my own research if my PSA spikes again are 4K score and 3T MP MRI at a facility that specializes in prostate scans.

My PSA spiked as high as 7.2, but %free PSA correlation put me in a low cancer risk category. It since subsided to 3.0, and I;m having ongoing PSA with % free testing every 90 days.

 

[Blackhawk]

A biopsy is the only way to diagnose prostate cancer

Sort of. There are genetic based blood tests that identify prostate cancer markers in the blood, and the 3T MP MRI has a very high success rate identifying tumors (though identifying a tumor does not prove it is cancer.).

Biopsies are a generally poor diagnostic tool. They are typically 12 cores and easily miss smaller tumors. Some men receive multiple biopsies including high saturation types which take up to 48 cores and still miss small cancer tumors.

So with a biopsy, if cancerous cells are found, yes that is a definitive diagnosis, but they often miss. The method is inherently fallable.

It is unfortunately a brutal diagnostic tool. It seems the genetic testing advancements may become better practice as they become more refined and more readily available.