Use of testosterone replacement therapy in patients with prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is among the more common and less lethal malignancies, yielding a large population of survivors. The incidence of hypogonadism increases in the same elderly population of men who most frequently develop prostate cancer, and the risk of becoming hypogonadal is increased further by prostate cancer therapy. The relative safety of replacing testosterone to reduce symptoms of hypogonadism in men who have been treated for prostate cancer is not well established. We review the available data, provide suggestions for approaching the management of prostate cancer survivors who suffer hypogonadal symptoms, and describe other diagnostic and therapeutic uses of testosterone that have been employed in patients with prostate cancer.