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Was Told by my doctor that Testosterone causes cancer

Posted , 8 users are following.

craig84609
craig84609

I went to my doctor and she said that a PSA is needed for screening purposes. I asked why and she said that TRT can cause cancer. I told her I have heard nothing of this and if it does I would have never started it. I have read that being on TRT can fuel cancer that is already there making it grow faster and more likely to be agressive in nature. She looked at me with  a puzzled look and said really well maybe you are right I will check into it. OMG! this is my doctor. Now what the heck am I supposed to think. I have never read anything that links TRT to causing cancer, fueling it yes, but causing it no. I have also read that men with low T are at a higher risk of developing cancer so it would be safe to say I am better off on TRT than not. I wouldn't be on it, but my body no longer makes it so it was 0. My side effects from this were really bad. It is like having chronic fatigue syndrome and sexual difunction. With a side of extreme depression. It was terrible and I don't want to go back to feeling that way, but the doctor would like me to stop due to cancer risk and blood clotting. I am getting checked regularly for blood issues and have no desire to take a PSA test. I believe it will open Pandoras box. I wish to leave it alone. What is a guy supposed to do? It is a catch 22 no good answer.

2 likes, 56 replies

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  • Aristotle13
    Aristotle13 craig84609

    Posted

    Most of the casual information on PSA and prostate cancer seems to be just so much hype. It's your body and you decide what is acceptable. I.m almost 71 and I have been on TRT since 1996 and have a s PSA blood-test as part of my well-man annual examination. I have never thought of this as any big deal and it actually puts my mind at ease knowing that the level is not rising.. My advice would be to not make a firm decision until you have had the test at which point you would know what the probability of prostate problems really is. You can always say NO at any point.  Best of luck with your decision whatever it is.
    • craig84609
      craig84609 Aristotle13

      Posted

      It is hard to say no if your PSA is high because you will be thinking that you might have cancer. So at that point it is hard to say no to a biopsy. If I ever have to have one it will be a MRI guided biopsy done through the are between the scrotum and the anus. I would never let them do the Transrectal type on me. the guided type cuts down on damage by using fewer needles and very low chance of infection because they don't go through the wall of the rectum. I can't believe they still take biopsies transrectally. This is brutal and inhumane.
    • Aristotle13
      Aristotle13 craig84609

      Posted

      Unless you already know that your PSA is high, I would wait and get some facts under my belt before agreeing to anything. It's your body and if you need time to find out about any suggested procedure then you should take as long as you want and get indepndent confirmation of what you are told.  It may take a little longer but the wait should be worth it. Medical staff often believe that they have power over you because of their knowledge but the power is yours!

      I know of several friends with suspected cancer and they have lived with it for years without invasive surgery.

    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 Aristotle13

      Posted

      That is true.  Get more information before you agree to anything.  Prostate cancer most of the time is slow growing.  It takes 10 to 15 years for any problem and in that time you can enjoy life before you have it taking away if you know what I mean..Take care  Ken
    • craig84609
      craig84609 Aristotle13

      Posted

      Yea the dendency is to rush you in for a biopsy, then if positive they want you to start treatment right away. Heck the biopsy itself can cause permanent damage. The doctors act like it is no big deal, but it isn't them getting needles shot through their prostate.
    • howard53545
      howard53545 kenneth1955

      Posted

      Actually, some PC cancers are metastic in five years. It all depends on the degree of the cancer when first diagnosed. PC is one of the few cancers where a cure is possible but it has to be caught early.
    • craig84609
      craig84609 howard53545

      Posted

      What you say is true but I think he is refering to the fact that most PC is slow growing, but I think those are the only cases of survival. If a cancer is growing so fast it breaches the capsule within a few short years then it is probably going to be deadly. Once it breaches the prostate survival goes down drastically. For me and only me I don't want to be screened. I know the risks and am willing to accept them. Each man has to decide for himself based on their overall health and personal wishes as to what is right for him. I believe in choice. I don't want to be forced to take a PSA test to get a medicine that I really need for my quality of life. I have many health problems that I have none of which I could have helped so my life span is reduced because of this. I am not concerned about prostate cancer. But someone who is healthy and energetic I would say get tested.
    • howard53545
      howard53545 craig84609

      Posted

      Do whatever works for you. The only rule for cancer is that there are no rules. PC out of the prostate is called locally advanced and there can be a 100 percent cure. It depends on many variables such as Gleason, margins, seminal vessels.
    • craig84609
      craig84609 howard53545

      Posted

      This is also true and really there are a lot of unknowns. Every day some other substance either causes or stops cancer. What is one to believe. I figure listen to your body. Most of the time when something is wrong it will let you know. I know that sometimes the symptoms are mild and mask as something else so it is tough. I prefer not to stress about it. If I have a high PSA which is likely due to Prostatitus it is hard to know whether it is from cancer or an infected prostate. I don't want to stress over a false test and end up being biopsied for nothing. would be really bad to have an infected prostate then start stabbing needles into it. so in my case I am refusing at this point but will revisit it at age 50.
    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 craig84609

      Posted

      Craig Had one of them done when I was 47 10 needles was a prostate infection.  remember the PSA have a lot of false reading  Ken
    • craig84609
      craig84609 kenneth1955

      Posted

      Oh, I know. This is probably why the urologist likes it because they can do so many biopsies. Heck they make $6,000 to 10,000 dollars per for a 15 minute proceedure. Not on me they don't. This is why I will opt out of PSA because even if mine was high I wouldn't have a biopsy. So no point to the PSA.
    • howard53545
      howard53545 kenneth1955

      Posted

      While you are at it stop doing the dre too. Dirt and germs may be on the finger poked in your rear.
    • stebrunner
      stebrunner craig84609

      Posted

      Craig,

      I recently read a book written by the researcher who developed the PSA test. His name is Richard Ablin, and he says the test was never designed to be a cancer marker. The name of his book is "The Great Prostate Hoax." After I read the book I stopped letting doctors push PSA tests on me. I explain to them that I don't think the test is accurate, and they usually back off.

      Stebrunner

    • craig84609
      craig84609 stebrunner

      Posted

      Well my urologist didn't back off at all. She defended PSA testing like it saves 10,000 lives a day. I have a difficult time with this test as all it really shows is that the prostate is enlarged. Big deal. I know that my prostate is enlarged I can feel it. It hurts and I can hardly urinate. Do I think I have cancer? Absolutely NOT! I have Prostatitis and it freakin hurts. I wish the doctors would see it for what it is. They even try to biopsy you if you have prostatitis in order to do a culture. Give me a break, like they can't do that with a fluid sample from the prostate? It gets me upset because so much has been thrown on me and I don't like to worry and that is all the PSA does is make me worry. So for me I will refuse it vigorously. The doctor did feel my prostate and nothing unusual was noted other than swelling. I also watched a video of the inventor of the PSA and he said it was flawed. That was all I needed to hear.
    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 craig84609

      Posted

      You don't have to do anything you don't want to do.  There are alot of fakse reading. Just have her give your something to relax the bladder and help you pee. Watch out for some they will cause retro.  Take care  Ken 
    • craig84609
      craig84609 kenneth1955

      Posted

      I know. That is the reason I didn't fill that RX. I do get relief from it with cranberry pills so I have been popping those instead of having retro. I have a bit of a problem with retro without medication so I would imagine it would be much worse with it. I hope the Cipro works as I am hurting and last night couldn't urinate very well.
    • craig84609
      craig84609 kenneth1955

      Posted

      I agree, but in order to figure this out we go back to biopsy. Just the thought makes my butt pucker. I would rather jump from a plane than go in for a biopsy. The thing is pathologists make mistakes as well. I read an article on it where it wasn't uncommon for a path to make the wrong call saying that it was a high grade cancer when it isn't or saying no cancer when there is. It really isn't a perfect science. We are at the mercy of our doctors and if they make the wrong call we are screwed. The article did say to get two separate pathologists to look at the specimins. That way human error is cut down.
    • howard53545
      howard53545 craig84609

      Posted

      My brother could not urinate. He ran to the ER screaming in pain. They had to ream out his urinary track and open it up. He had an infection. They think that the cancer is compromising his uretha which runs right through the prostate.
    • craig84609
      craig84609 howard53545

      Posted

      So he had an infection due to cancer? This is what I am scared of. If the size of my prostate doesn't get better after infection is gone they may want me to have a biopsy done. Just thinking about it makes me sick to my stomach. 
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