New Testosterone Study Offers Hope for Prostate Cancer Survivors
Since the 1940s, many medical professionals have believed that testosterone triggered tumor growth in men with prostate cancer. For decades, testosterone and prostate cancer have been treated as if they could not safely coexist. That assumption has limited what options are available to prostate cancer survivors with low testosterone.
But recent research, including a new study co-authored by Dr. Arthur Burnett, suggests the conversation around treatment after prostate cancer may need to change. The Root spoke with Burnett about his recent research, and few people are better positioned to weigh in. The first Black physician to serve as Professor of Urology at Johns Hopkins University, Burnett is a renowned surgeon and researcher who has spent decades pioneering innovations in men’s health.
The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, followed 136 men aged 40 and older. Each participant had a testosterone deficiency after surgery for low-grade prostate cancer and was considered cured. The question, Burnett said, was, “Can we treat these men with testosterone safely?”
The Evidence That Could Change the Conversation
The short answer was yes. “We demonstrated that it does have safety,” Burnett said. The researchers found no safety concerns during the study period and noted improvements in physical function, sexual activity, sexual desire and quality of life. Testosterone may not directly improve erectile function, but Burnett said it appeared to help men become more sexually engaged. “We saw all of this definitely demonstrated in this category of men. So we think it was really a one-of-a-kind study,” Burnett said.
Perhaps most promising, researchers found no signs of cancer recurrence during treatment or in the three months that followed. Other groups—including men who underwent radiation or who may still have residual prostate cancer—require further study. Still, the findings suggest that for some men, testosterone may belong in conversations about recovery and quality of life following prostate cancer treatment
What This Could Mean for Black Men
Black men are 70 to 110 percent more likely to develop and die from prostate cancer than white men in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. For survivors, life after treatment deserves attention. While Burnett notes testosterone treatment won’t be right for every prostate cancer survivor, the study provides evidence that it may help some men address fatigue, low libido and reduced quality of life without increasing recurrence risk.
For Burnett, the findings provide “a sense of fresh air.” Now, there is “breathing room to say there’s evidence to support this kind of practice. And this really moved us forward,” he said.
While additional research is needed, the findings provide some of the strongest evidence to date that testosterone therapy may be a safe option for carefully selected prostate cancer survivors experiencing symptoms of testosterone deficiency.
