Researchers in the United States say that prostate cancer developed in 20 men within months to a few years after they began testosterone supplementation, to correct a deficiency of the hormone.
Dr. Franklin D. Gaylis from the University of California at San Diego Medical Center, says that there are several anecdotal case reports, small studies, and observational studies such as theirs, that raise concern but do not as yet, provide conclusive evidence.
Gaylis, and colleagues say that in this series of patients where clinically significant prostate cancer developed, it was presumably related to testosterone use, and the issue is a concern because prostate cancer is usually driven by testosterone.
According to the researchers the men in the study were identified in six different urology practices.
It was found that prostate cancer was detected within 2 years of the start of testosterone replacement in 11 of these men, seven of them within the first year.
The others were diagnosed after 28 months to 8 years.
Before testosterone supplementation was begun, eleven of the men had normal prostate examination results.
According to the report the average PSA level of the 17 men tested before treatment was 3, although the range was 0.9 to 15.
Further evaluation is usually carried out if the PSA level is over 4.