Oncology · Internal Medicine ·
Low testosterone associated with higher cancer mortality in men
An analysis of more than 26,000 men in 11 long-running studies found that low baseline testosterone was associated with higher subsequent cancer mortality. Testosterone was not associated with prostate cancer risk, while lower SHBG and luteinizing hormone were linked to higher risk.
- Lowest testosterone fifth linked to 18% higher cancer mortality.
- Risk began rising below 8.6 nmol/L in this analysis.
- Testosterone was not associated with prostate cancer risk.
- Observational findings do not support testosterone for cancer prevention.
The Androgens In Men Study (AIMS) pooled data from more than 26,000 men in 11 long-running studies in Australia, the United States and Europe. Researchers measured testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and luteinizing hormone in blood samples, then compared levels with cancer diagnoses and deaths recorded over subsequent decades.
Men in the lowest fifth of testosterone concentrations had an 18% higher risk of dying from cancer than men in the highest fifth, after adjustment for age and other health-related factors. The researchers reported that cancer risk began to rise when baseline testosterone was below 8.6 nmol/L. Testosterone was not associated with prostate cancer risk; lower SHBG and luteinizing hormone were associated with higher prostate cancer risk.
The findings are observational and do not show that low testosterone causes cancer or that testosterone treatment would reduce cancer risk. The study authors said low levels may warrant assessment of overall health, but the results do not establish testosterone testing as a cancer-screening tool or support supplementation for cancer prevention.
In practice
In men whose testosterone is found to be low, these findings support considering the result in the context of overall health rather than interpreting it as a cancer diagnosis or indication for testosterone treatment. The study was observational, and it does not establish that low testosterone causes cancer, that testing can predict an individual’s outcome, or that testosterone supplementation prevents cancer. It also found no association between natural testosterone levels and prostate cancer risk; the reported links with SHBG and luteinizing hormone do not establish a screening strategy.
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The Lancet Healthy Longevity (via ScienceDaily): Low testosterone linked to 18% higher risk of dying from cancer ↗This is an automated AI-condensed summary that has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Always consult the full item at the original source.