BACKGROUND:Decreased libido is one of several changes in sexual function that are often experienced by female cancer patients. Transdermal testosterone therapy has been associated with increased libido among estrogen-replete women who report low libido. METHODS: In a phase III randomized, placebo-controlled crossover clinical trial, we evaluated whether transdermal testosterone would increase sexual desire in female cancer survivors. Postmenopausal women with a history of cancer and no current evidence of disease were eligible if they reported a decrease in sexual desire and had a sexual partner. Eligible women were randomly assigned to receive 2% testosterone in Vanicream for a testosterone dose of 10 mg daily or placebo Vanicream for 4 weeks and were then crossed over to the opposite treatment for an additional 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was sexual desire or libido, as measured using the desire subscales of the Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire, as assessed at baseline and at the end of 4 and 8 weeks of treatment. Serum levels of bioavailable testosterone were measured at the same times. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: We enrolled 150 women. Women who were on active testosterone cream had higher serum levels of bioavailable testosterone than women on placebo (mean change from baseline, testosterone versus placebo, week 4, 11.57% versus 0%, difference = 11.57%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.49% to 14.65%; week 8, 10.21% versus 0.28%, difference = 9.92%, 95% CI = 5.42% to 14.42%; P<.001 for all). However, the average intrapatient libido change from baseline to weeks 4 and 8 was similar on both arms. CONCLUSION: Increased testosterone level did not translate into improved libido, possibly because women on this study were estrogen depleted.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: Decreased libido is one of several changes in sexual function that are often experienced by female cancerpatients. Transdermal testosterone therapy has been associated with increased libido among estrogen-replete women who report low libido. METHODS: In a phase III randomized, placebo-controlled crossover clinical trial, we evaluated whether transdermal testosterone would increase sexual desire in female cancer survivors. Postmenopausal women with a history of cancer and no current evidence of disease were eligible if they reported a decrease in sexual desire and had a sexual partner. Eligible women were randomly assigned to receive 2% testosterone in Vanicream for a testosterone dose of 10 mg daily or placebo Vanicream for 4 weeks and were then crossed over to the opposite treatment for an additional 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was sexual desire or libido, as measured using the desire subscales of the Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire, as assessed at baseline and at the end of 4 and 8 weeks of treatment. Serum levels of bioavailable testosterone were measured at the same times. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: We enrolled 150 women. Women who were on active testosterone cream had higher serum levels of bioavailable testosterone than women on placebo (mean change from baseline, testosterone versus placebo, week 4, 11.57% versus 0%, difference = 11.57%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.49% to 14.65%; week 8, 10.21% versus 0.28%, difference = 9.92%, 95% CI = 5.42% to 14.42%; P<.001 for all). However, the average intrapatient libido change from baseline to weeks 4 and 8 was similar on both arms. CONCLUSION: Increased testosterone level did not translate into improved libido, possibly because women on this study were estrogen depleted.
Authors: Lori A Brotto; Yvonne Erskine; Mark Carey; Tom Ehlen; Sarah Finlayson; Mark Heywood; Janice Kwon; Jessica McAlpine; Gavin Stuart; Sydney Thomson; Dianne Miller Journal: Gynecol Oncol Date: 2012-01-28 Impact factor: 5.482
Authors: Elizabeth M Jaffee; Chi Van Dang; David B Agus; Brian M Alexander; Kenneth C Anderson; Alan Ashworth; Anna D Barker; Roshan Bastani; Sangeeta Bhatia; Jeffrey A Bluestone; Otis Brawley; Atul J Butte; Daniel G Coit; Nancy E Davidson; Mark Davis; Ronald A DePinho; Robert B Diasio; Giulio Draetta; A Lindsay Frazier; Andrew Futreal; Sam S Gambhir; Patricia A Ganz; Levi Garraway; Stanton Gerson; Sumit Gupta; James Heath; Ruth I Hoffman; Cliff Hudis; Chanita Hughes-Halbert; Ramy Ibrahim; Hossein Jadvar; Brian Kavanagh; Rick Kittles; Quynh-Thu Le; Scott M Lippman; David Mankoff; Elaine R Mardis; Deborah K Mayer; Kelly McMasters; Neal J Meropol; Beverly Mitchell; Peter Naredi; Dean Ornish; Timothy M Pawlik; Jeffrey Peppercorn; Martin G Pomper; Derek Raghavan; Christine Ritchie; Sally W Schwarz; Richard Sullivan; Richard Wahl; Jedd D Wolchok; Sandra L Wong; Alfred Yung Journal: Lancet Oncol Date: 2017-10-31 Impact factor: 41.316
Authors: Francesco Versace; Jeffrey M Engelmann; Edward F Jackson; Aurelija Slapin; Kristin M Cortese; Therese B Bevers; Leslie R Schover Journal: Brain Imaging Behav Date: 2013-12 Impact factor: 3.978