Testosterone therapy in men after radical prostatectomy for low-intermediate organ-confined prostate cancer Journal Article


Authors: Flores, J. M.; Vertosick, E. A.; Salter, C. A.; Liso, N.; Teloken, P.; Berookhim, B.; Jenkins, L.; Carlsson, S.; Laudone, V.; Eastham, J.; Vickers, A. J.; Mulhall, J. P.
Article Title: Testosterone therapy in men after radical prostatectomy for low-intermediate organ-confined prostate cancer
Abstract: PURPOSE: Testosterone (T) therapy (TTh) in men with T deficiency who have undergone radical prostatectomy (RP) for prostate cancer remains controversial. We aimed to assess the impact of TTh on biochemical recurrence (BCR) rates after RP in men with low-intermediate organ-confined disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included men who underwent an RP at our institution for organ-confined prostate cancer and had grade groups 1 to 3 on RP pathology. A Cox model was created for time to BCR with T use included as a time-dependent covariate, adjusted for age, preoperative PSA, grade group at RP, and the presence of comorbidities. A landmark analysis was used: Patients were included in the analysis if their last PSA in the 18 weeks postoperatively was undetectable and they had not had BCR or been lost to follow-up by that point, and follow-up for BCR began at 18 weeks. BCR was defined as a PSA ≥ 0.1 ng/mL after RP with a second confirmatory rise ≥ 0.1 ng/mL. RESULTS: The study population included 5199 men after RP, with 198 patients receiving T at any point after RP and 5001 not receiving T. The median age was 59 (interquartile range, 55-65) and 61 (interquartile range, 56-66) years, respectively. Men in the T group tended to present with more vascular comorbidities. For those receiving T, clomiphene citrate was prescribed in 49% of men, 32% received transdermal T, and 19% intramuscular T. We found a nonsignificantly decreased risk of BCR associated with the use of T after RP (hazard ratio, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.48-1.46; P = .5), and overall rates of BCR were low, with probability of BCR at 5 years less than 2% in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: TTh can be given to select men after RP. We found no evidence that administration of TTh after RP causes BCR.
Keywords: aged; middle aged; retrospective studies; androgen; cancer grading; prostate specific antigen; neoplasm recurrence, local; pathology; retrospective study; prostate cancer; prostate-specific antigen; prostatic neoplasms; blood; prostatectomy; tumor recurrence; prostate tumor; surgery; epidemiology; drug therapy; testosterone; androgens; prevention and control; procedures; neoplasm grading; humans; human; male; testosterone therapy; low testosterone
Journal Title: Journal of Urology
Volume: 213
Issue: 1
ISSN: 0022-5347
Publisher: Elsevier Science, Inc.  
Date Published: 2025-01-01
Start Page: 27
End Page: 33
Language: English
DOI: 10.1097/ju.0000000000004267
PUBMED: 39348712
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC11631663
DOI/URL:
Notes: The MSK Cancer Center Support Grant (P30 CA008748) is acknowledge in the PDF -- Corresponding authors is MSK author: Jose M. Flores -- Source: Scopus
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MSK Authors
  1. Vincent Laudone
    138 Laudone
  2. John P Mulhall
    603 Mulhall
  3. Andrew J Vickers
    887 Vickers
  4. James Eastham
    540 Eastham
  5. Sigrid Viktoria Carlsson
    221 Carlsson
  6. Patrick Teloken
    14 Teloken
  7. Emily Vertosick
    136 Vertosick
  8. Nicole E Benfante
    161 Benfante
  9. Carolyn Anne Salter
    42 Salter