Take terms literally . . .
Yes, there is evidence that test can or might cause or contribute to prostate cancer, but not that it will cause prostate cancer.
The prescribing literature for both Delatestryl (enanthate) and Depo-Testosterone (cyp), the two legal brands of injectable test in the U.S., state in part:
CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
Endogenous androgens are responsible for the normal growth and development of the male sex organs and for maintenance of secondary sex characteristics. These effects include growth and maturation of prostate...
CONTRAINDICATIONS
Androgens are contraindicated in men with carcinomas of the breast or with known or suspected carcinomas of the prostate...
The prescribing information for Androgel contains an additional statement that is relevant:
Geriatric patients and other patients with clinical or demographic characteristics that are recognized to be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer should be evaluated for the presence of prostate cancer prior to initiation of testosterone replacement therapy. In men receiving testosterone replacement therapy, surveillance for prostate cancer should be consistent with current practices for eugonadal men...
So, based on the standards used by the manufacturers of legal test, it would appear that testosterone, at the very least, can increase the risk of prostate cancer, or can aggravate prostate cancer in those who have already been diagnosed.
When I use test, I regularly have PSA (prostate specific antigen) labwork done. I have never seen an increase in my PSA levels, but that does not mean it could not happen. There's an old expression to the effect that if something happens 1% of 1% of the time but it happens to you, then the incidence to you has become 100%.
Does that mean you should not do test? If you are not in a high-risk group (meaning if you have not been diagnosed with prostate cancer), no. But it does mean that you should take the normal steps to ensure that it does not have a negative impact on you.
As for specifics, i.e., whether you increase the risk of prostate cancer at an early age or down the road when you are older, I am not aware of any statistical results. (Which doesn't mean they don't exist, it merely means I'm in a lazy mood today. :)) BUt life, as always, is a crapshoot, so anyone considering test or any other type of cycle should do a risk-benefit analysis and make an informed decision.
Did you have to mention DRE
Dang TNT...reading the above post..liking the comments and then wammo...DRE...run for cover! Nevertheless, I'd rather have a DRE as recommended by the medical establishment rather than be a woman and have a monthly menstral cycle, periodic gyno exams, the pains of childbirth, etc... Let us not forget that it was Eve that took the first bite of the apple. Still shuttering!
Rousta!
LDSlifter
"Have you checked your "females" today?"
Re: Did you have to mention DRE
Quote:
Originally posted by LDSlifter
Dang TNT...reading the above post..liking the comments and then wammo...DRE...run for cover
I always have fun with this issue because most guys quiver when they consider the DRE (digital rectal exam). The funniest thing is when someone writes something along the lines of, "If you let your doctor do it, make sure he doesn't have both of his hands on your shoulders." :D
But the DRE is the foundational test for prostate health. I know it's a pain in the ass (ba-da-bump!), but if I ever went to a doctor for a general physical exam and he or she didn't do a DRE, I would find another doctor.
By the way, the reason I advocate for this so strongly is that my father got prostate cancer ten years ago, and our family doctor first determined that something was amiss because he did a DRE. My dad did radiation (the best option at that time), and today he is cancer free, right down to having normal PSA levels. Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men, and it's also the most curable - if it's caught early.
So guys, my wish for every one of you is that you have a finger stuck up your butt . . . by a competent medical professional, of course. :wg:
For what it's worth, I have a general exam once a year, because I'm lucky enough to have insurance that pays for it. So I get the ol' finger up the butt once a year (invariably telling my doctor that it was the biggest thrill I had that morning - we all say goofy things as the doc is doing it). But I also get a PSA donw twice a year - not just because of the family history in terms of my dad, but because I happen to shoot test. Statistically, the chance is that I will not get prostate cancer, but if there's any chance at all, you can bet your finger-schtupped butt that I want to catch it before it does me in.
:no: <---- Mean doctor threatening you with his finger.
___________________
P.S. By the way, LDS, I ust picked up Shippen's book (The Testosterone Syndrome) yesterday. I'm sure I"ll have a comment or two when I've finished reading it. (Like, "Pellets, my ass.") :D
Not necessarily, but . . .
Quote:
Originally posted by RON
Thanks TNT. Do you think I should wait till post cycle?
There's no reason not to do so if you are already in your cycle.
The main reason I recommend a baseline PSA prior to cycle is that it shows your prostate specific antigen levels naturally. Therefore, if you do a PSA after your cycle and have a high PSA, you know whether it was from the gear or whether it was high in the first place. It's actually more of a red flag if you have a naturlaly high PSA, because it's more of a clinical indication of your health. If it's low before the cycle and high after the cycle, then you can specifically know that it was due to AS.
In most cases, you will not have a high PSA after a cycle. The PSA is one of the tests we do because of a possibility, not a probability. In other words, the chances of getting prostate cancer from AS are very small, but since we're talking about the most treatable type of cancer you can get (yet the most common, if you are a guy), it's truly a matter of playing it safe. (Lots of guys will have an abnormal PSA as they enter old age - 60's, 70's, 80's, etc. But statistically, it is more often benign prostate growth rather than cancer. Even those who ultimately develop prostate cancer are told by their doctors, "When your time comes, you will propbably die with it, but not from it." But that's only when it is caught early enough.)