Is there a connection between testost... - Advanced Prostate...

Advanced Prostate Cancer

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Is there a connection between testosterone level and severity of prostate cancer at diagnosis?

14 Replies

Does this answer seem correct to you. I asked my hospital a question:

Question to hospital

In prostate cancer, is there a correlation between testosterone levels at diagnosis and Gleason score. Or, to ask it another way, it is possible to prevent or delay progression of 3-3 prostate cancer by maintaining normal testosterone levels?

Answer from hospital

We contacted the Urology department, and we were advised that there is no correlation between testosterone levels and prostate cancer grade.

I figured that low testosterone is a cause of prostate cancer, and, at the least, people who have normal levels are less likely to get prostate cancer...

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14 Replies
Sisira profile image
Sisira

I don't know whether the answer given is correct or not but it sounds appropriate since the exact cause of PCa is not yet known. Medical researchers are continuously engaged In debating out various theories for this gene malfunction ( PCa ) most of the time without reaching consensus. Under such circumstances it is very unlikely that any hospital or their urological department would commit to a definite answer based on facts not firmly established, especially when individuals ask questions.

You may find answers to such questions as a matter of interest only when you research yourself and possibly find the answers in some research papers presented by Urologists and Oncologists from time to time. Otherwise the hospitals may think that you are trying to test the knowledge and expertise of their urological departments by asking such questions!

Sisira

Daddyishealing profile image
Daddyishealing

From what I reaseached no one will conclude there is a correlation, bit it is my opinion that yes the endocrine system is playing a huge part. it may not be the level or a number but a shift that throws things off balance. not a medical opinion just an opinion. can you subscribe to the medical journals. I think because of your love of knowledge as well that you speak to your doctor about getting access to medical journals and to ask which ones are the cream of the crop . medical research library . they are so smazing. being surrounded by so much knowledge .

bb66hotflash profile image
bb66hotflash

That answer is correct by the definitions and published understanding about Prostrate Cancer. Typically, people with PCa do not have low testosterone.

IMHO, In some cases as Prostrate Cancer grows and the Prostrate expands in size, the testicles also increase in size to accommodate the growing call for demand of testosterone by the Prostrate Cancer.

I had low T and was dx'd with Gleason 8, considered aggressive, at age 66. T diminishes with age. PCa risk increases with age. Is it an age thing or a low T thing? A question yet to be answered?

Jimtjr profile image
Jimtjr

I had high T double for my age of 74 and my cancer was very aggressive with Gleason score of 10

in reply toJimtjr

Thanks. Thats good (confounding) data!!

I cant keep it all in my head. Need someplace else.

Jimtjr profile image
Jimtjr

My PSA was 1.2 and less for 10 yrs straight while my testosterone was double what it should have been for my age. The eleventh year my PSA went up to 4.2 and at the time of the biopsy was already up to 10.4. My Gleason scores were 10 and the cancer was found to have spread to my bones, lives and lymph nodes. My urologist said i had a very aggressive cancer that is appearing to be less rate today.

Foster007 profile image
Foster007

I think you may have it a bit backwards regarding testosterone level, but I may be wrong. If testosterone feeds prostate cancer, which it most definitely does, I would think that high testosterone would be more of an indicator for future and progression of prostate cancer mets. I don't know of any studies out there on this but if someone does, please let me know. I really want to educate myself.

in reply toFoster007

something in the testosterone story is not quite right. and its not clear how to fix it. everyone does agree that testosterone plays an important part in the prostate and in prostate cancer. T is a sex hormone in a sex organ. But the level inside the cell is most likely what is important, and the question posed is about the level in the bloodstream, not the cell.

To make an unrelated 'feeds' analogy: even though you need energy to fight, and you need food to have energy, it is not clear that you will fight more if you have more food. You might fight over food if it gets low. this is just an example that the 'feeds' idea does not automatically mean that more T means a more agressive PC because of logic alone, even if T "feeds" the prostate in some sense. To say that T "feeds" prostate cancer is just to say, using a different word, that T aggravates prostate cancer. It does not provide the mechanism.

And more importantly, it does not seem to explain how prostate cancer arises, even as distict from BPH.

ctarleton profile image
ctarleton

I was diagnosed at age 65 with a PSA of 5,006 and lots of bone and lymph node mets, and a higher range Testosterone level of 908.

My "gut" feeling is that the higher range T did not in itself cause the prostate cancer and the mets. Perhaps some random error or a long term inflammation process or an environmental exposure might have started the orginal tumor? I have no way to prove that, whatsoever. However, the prostate cancer cells that I did have when my PSA was 5,006 were well established to an environment that did have a high baseline T value of 908. When I went on ADT with Lupron, my PSA of 5,006 dropped rapidly and reached a nadir of 1.0. Very responsive to hormone therapy.

Conversely, my "gut" feeling is that if I had had a very low T baseline, my prostate cancer cells might already have been somewhat adapted to living in a lower T environment, and might have been less responsive to hormone therapy, and might have been considered more aggressive in nature when they were less responsive to hormone therapy? Again, this is only a speculation.

(By the way, I was also screened for 50-ish familial genes such as BRCA-2, etc., but, did not test positive for any of those, which might have otherwise complicated the picture.)

Charles

RonnyBaby profile image
RonnyBaby

This would be a new revelation 2 me.

Assuming that all normal males produce testosterone, although declining over time, there is no statistical link that I've ever heard of.

IF you could manage testosterone levels at an earlier age by artificially suppressing it, you would start to approach ADT side effects.

How much manipulation and at what rate ?

Perhaps you should ask another question ?

CasualClive profile image
CasualClive

I think you may be right. I do know that my advanced prostate cancer diagnosis with a PSA of 373.2 came as a complete shock to me because I always looked after myself and believed I had a very strong immune system. But then I wondered whether the fact that I had been taking testosterone boosters for the past 15 years could have caused my prostate cancer. Of course, my oncologist would not confirm this, instead saying that it was just “bad luck!”

Seasid profile image
Seasid

The relationship between testosterone levels and prostate cancer is complex and somewhat controversial. While testosterone itself does not directly cause prostate cancer, it plays a role in prostate health and cancer progression, as prostate cells rely on androgens like testosterone to grow.

At diagnosis, there's no clear or consistent correlation between a patient's testosterone levels and the severity of prostate cancer (such as Gleason score). Some studies have suggested that low testosterone levels may be associated with more aggressive disease, but this is not universally accepted or definitive. Low testosterone can sometimes indicate more advanced or high-grade tumors, but it's not a reliable predictor across the board.

As for preventing or delaying progression of a low-grade prostate cancer (Gleason 3+3) by maintaining normal testosterone levels, this is not typically recommended. In fact, androgen deprivation therapy (which lowers testosterone) is often used to control prostate cancer growth because testosterone can fuel the cancer. Managing testosterone levels to slow progression of low-risk prostate cancer is not supported by strong evidence, and active surveillance or other therapies are typically advised based on the individual’s risk.

So, while low testosterone levels have been associated with certain aggressive cancers, it is not accurate to say that maintaining normal testosterone levels will prevent or delay the progression of prostate cancer.

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