testosterone creams ect. good?bad?

Have you had your T levels tested? Usually if your T level is in the top 2/3 of the "normal" range then adding more doesn't accomplish much except cost you money.

As for whether testosterone stimulates the growth of prostate cancer, that's complicated, but the simple answer is No, it doesn't. It is true that maintaining castrate levels of T will arrest the growth of prostate cancer for a while. Depending on the aggressiveness of the cancer "a while" is generally two or three years, but sometimes it is longer or shorter. Eventually, the cancer cells will mutate so they no longer require T to grow -- the cancer is then called "castrate resistant."

But once you get above castrate (very low) levels of testosterone there is a theory that adding more doesn't make much difference to cancer cells. They already have all they can use. Their activation sites are all activated. This is the "saturation" theory and it is a bit controversial but I find recent evidence fairly compelling.

So a man with less than 20 ng/dL of T probably has much less risk of developing prostate cancer or of existing cancer growing than does a man with 150 ng/dL. The guy with 150 ng/dL has low T but not castration-level low T. He has enough T to have all the prostate cancer risk that goes with being a normal man but not enough T to feel like a normal man. On the other hand, a man with 650 ng/dL of T will have exactly the same cancer risks but he will probably feel better.

Oversimplifying, there are three cases:

• You can maintain castrate levels and reduce the risks, at lest for a while, but you will have low-T symptoms.
• You can maintain a T level above castrate but below the normal range, and you will have all the cancer risks and you will feel lousy.
• You can maintain a normal T level and have the same cancer risks but you will feel better.

It's a judgement call sometimes whether the first or third case is better. Miserable but safe vs feeling OK but with some risks. But that's not my point. My point is that the middle case where cancer can grow and you feel lousy isn't where you want to stay. It has all the problems and none of the advantages.

You asked to hear from members with experience with testosterone supplementation. I'm not one. Yet. But I'm working on it and expect to be one soon.

GoodLuck

Peter - Very well put, my friend.

John - I am one of the patients who had symptomatic low-T for years prior to my prostate cancer diagnosis. I have been using T-gel for about 6 years now, before, during and after radiation treatment for prostate cancer.

When I was first diagnosed, my uro (who manages my T-therapy) said that he wasn't sure what to do about my T levels and symptoms. The first RO I consulted said "You must stop the testosterone therapy immediately" and giving the old analogy of pouring gasoline on a fire. I then met with another RO (both RO's offered CyberKnife treatment, my choice). The second RO heard my story, including my description of low-T symptoms and my plea to find a way to maintain T at a reasonable level. She consulted with a highly-regarded colleague of hers as MSKCC. Her colleague then referred us to a specialist in Boston (I'm near Chicago). I went to Boston for a consultation and exam with the specialist (when you Google "Saturation Theory" you will find his name) who reinforced my belief that it is sometimes safe to continue T therapy in the face of prostate cancer. He would not recommend this for high-risk patients or any patient whose diagnosis calls for androgen-deprivation therapy, but for the majority of others, T therapy should be safe. He referred me to a book he has written on the subject and a stack of journal articles he has published.

I know this is long-winded, John, but I wanted you to know that it is sometimes advisable to offer T-therapy to prostate cancer patients, and that is not just my own opinion, but that of a well-known specialist/researcher.

One other point I make from my own experience. . . they call T-therapy Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) for a good reason. It REPLACES the testosterone made within your body, it does not "add" to what was there. Yes, short term (a month or so) it will add to what's there, but in the longer term, if you are receiving adequate T from external sources, your body will eventually shut down its internal T production and your only source of T will be the prescription meds (gels, injections, sub-dermal pellets, creams, etc.). When that happens, the testes shrink and cease producing sperm, but all else remains normal (erections, ejaculate, libido, muscle mass, etc.).

I would urge you to Google and read some of the publications of Dr. Abraham Morgentaler on this topic. He is associated with Harvard University and many of his articles are published in their journals.

Steve n Dallas said...
And in the for what it's worth category, my insurance company wouldn't pay for AndroGel. But they do pay for the Compounded Cream version my local pharmacy makes.

Interesting. I will be changing insurance plans in April, so this is good to know.