Testosterone therapy is a $2 Billion industry as men seek its use for a variety of reasons, but does it pose a threat to fueling prostate cancer?
Until less than 10 years ago it was believed that high endogenous testosterone increased the risk of prostate cancer.
It was thought that testosterone lit up malignancies in the prostate. This claim began in the 1940's with Dr. Charles Huggins who won a Nobel Prize for his work in demonstrating that prostate cancer growth is dependent on serum testosterone levels. From this point on a viable treatment option was found in Androgen Deprivation Therapy. Lowering testosterone to negligible levels was the the standard in treatment of prostate cancer and is still used today in advanced cases.
In test tubes containing numerous cancer cell lines, testosterone has been shown to produce an increase in prostate cancer but also in apoptosis (cancer cell death). However, as it looks as though testosterone should never be used in patients with prostate cancer, more recent studies have shown the exact opposite might be true. A very large study demonstrated that there was no direct association between endogenous serum androgens and the development of prostate cancer. No relationship was found with testosterone or DHT levels and prostate cancer risk either. Not only did the research find no causal relationship between high endogenous testosterone and prostate cancer, but low testosterone may actually promote the disease.
Since significant advances are being made in the controversial use of testosterone for prostate cancer, an appropriate prostate cancer patient may experience an improved quality of life with testosterone therapy. These "appropriate" patients may include hypogonadal men with prostate cancer or a history of the disease. Testosterone therapy should not be given to men who have undergone Androgen Deprivation Therapy since this can worsen cancer progression.
Carefully treating select hypogonadal men with testosterone therapy should be considered a viable approach in those experiencing associated symptoms that include low energy, low libido and lack of luster along with low serum T Levels without fear of stimulating prostate cancer growth or progression. Good candidates include men that are on active surveillance or men who have been treated for intermediate stage prostate cancer without biochemical recurrence for 1 to 2 years. Close monitoring of men on testosterone therapy is crucial to success, especially after prostate cancer.
There are 2 new tests for prostate cancer that replace the PSA prostate-specific antigen and classic 12 point random biopsy.
The new 4Kscore assay tests for 4 different PSA variants: Total PSA, Free PSA, Intact PSA and human Kallikrein-2. These 4 kallikrein proteins produced by the prostate epithelium can show the percentage risk of a high Gleason score so you know whether you have aggressive disease or not. The SelectMDX is a genetic molecular urine test which has a 70% reliability and is independent of the non-specific PSA reducing the number of false positives caused by PSA independent cancers (Agent Orange), an infected or inflamed gland or recent sexual activity.
Prostate Biopsy is being replaced by color Doppler trans rectal ultrasound and parametric MRI even though it is not accepted by the American medical establishment but is wanted by progressive practitioners and educated patients. Insurance will only cover the standard 12 point biopsy taken from a standardized quadrant map over the gland
Why Ozone? Because cancer and all chronic diseases have something in common - oxygen deprivation.
Cancer survives in an oxygen deprived environment. Ozone brings oxygen into the system through the bloodstream and floods the cells with oxygen.
We offer I.V. Ozone MAH and 10 pass MAH for patients with prostate cancer. There are specialized German Biologics for cancer and specifically for prostate cancer. When appropriate for the right patient and the right circumstances we offer bio-identical hormones for men with close monitoring.
