DHT Testing: Do You Get It? I'm Trying to Convince My Med Onc to Provide It

[Neal-Snyder]

From what I've read on this site, DHT (dihydrotestosterone) testing is more important than T (testosterone) testing. So I asked my Kaiser Permanente med onc for it. He asked what clinical trials establish that there is a survival benefit to DHT testing. I also have read people on this site saying DHT testing is standard operating procedure, or even that it's malpractice not to do it.

If you are provided with DHT testing in a hospital or medical center, & best of all if it's a national comprehensive cancer center, would you please write about it here? Then maybe I (or you) can find out why they provide it, or I can see if my med onc would be willing to ask. He needs more evidence than just that Snuffy Myers does it for his patients.

Neal Snyder

[AlanMeyer]

Of course there would be no survival benefit to DHT testing itself. The benefit would be in taking action if the DHT is higher than desirable. If the DHT level is higher than desirable, then one of the so-called "5-alpha-reductase inhibitors" could be prescribed.

Here's Chuck Maack's article on DHT:

theprostateadvocate.com/pdf...

Alan

[Neal-Snyder in reply to AlanMeyer]

Thanks, Alan! I do know about Avodart & Proscar in relation to DHT. Glad to have a reference to work with. It just occurred to me that I got Metformin from my PCP, so I have a more flexible & I think more caring guy to turn to. Thanks again for replying & giving me the link to Chuck's article.

Neal

[Hidden in reply to Neal-Snyder]

Metformin. So far, no luck.

[Neal-Snyder in reply to Hidden]

Which doc did you ask, Martin? I didn't think my med onc would agree, so I asked my main doctor.

Neal

[Hidden in reply to Neal-Snyder]

PCP, in Buffalo. He says see an endocronologist. He also said no, but ask your oncologist. Trying that again.

[Neal-Snyder in reply to Hidden]

Tell him about study Patrick O'Shea reported here last year. That's what I used.

[Hidden]

I noticed that my urologist has not asked for DHT testing -- just PSA and T.