T recovery slow after 2 years LHRHa, potency and desire :-(

[JimmyToowong]

BJU Int. 2006 May;97(5):963-8. Epub 2006 Mar 17.

Testosterone and erectile function recovery after radiotherapy and long-term androgen deprivation with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists.

Wilke DR, Parker C, Andonowski A, Tsuji D, Catton C, Gospodarowicz M, Warde P.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Nova Scotia Cancer Centre, Capital Health, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To study the recovery of testosterone levels and erectile function in men who received radiotherapy plus long-term adjuvant androgen deprivation (LTAD) with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: From April 2000 to July 2001, men who had completed prostate radiotherapy with > or = 2 years of LTAD, and had their last LHRH agonist injection at least 6 months before, were invited to participate. At study entry, the men completed the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), and their serum total testosterone (TT), prostate-specific antigen, LH, follicle-stimulating hormone, haemoglobin, and body mass were measured. This assessment was repeated at 1 year.

RESULTS: In all, 20 men were recruited, with a mean (range) age of 70 (55-81) years. Defining a normal TT level as > or = 8.0 nmol/L, the median time to a normal level was 2.3 years (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.9-4.2). The median duration of castrate TT levels was 8 months (95% CI, 6.2-14.9). LH recovered before TT, suggesting that the rate-limiting step in the recovery of TT may be at the testicular level. The median time to recovery of normal LH levels was 3.8 months, compared to 8.0 months to reach supracastrate TT levels, and 2.3 years to reach normal TT levels. Age and the LH/TT ratio were associated with the time to recovery of both supracastrate and normal levels of TT. The IIEF was completed by 17 men; there were no significant changes in the scores in any domain of the IIEF during the study.

CONCLUSIONS: Most men recover supracastrate testosterone levels after LTAD and external beam radiotherapy, but recovery of 'normal' testosterone levels is slow. Few men recover potency and sexual desire. The patients age and LH/TT ratio may be predictive of the time to recovery of both supracastrate and normal testosterone levels.

PMID: 16542340 Forum: Primary hormone therapy Title: T recovery slow after 2 years LHRHa, potency and desire :-(

This extract can be found on http://PubMed.com, and is in the public domain.

On PubMed.com there will be a link to the full paper (often $30, sometimes free).

Any highlighting (except the title) is not by the author, but by Jim Marshall.

Jim is not a doctor.

This page was found on the Advanced Prostate Cancer Community for Australian men at http://advancedprost...lia.ipbhost.com.

The link is hard to remember.

An easier way to find it is to go to JimJimJimJim.com and click on Prostate.

That's the word Jim four times, no spaces, followed by .com.

If you need other help - to perhaps find someone to talk to or a local support group:

Click on the Contact Jim button at http://JimJimJimJim.com.