Hormone hope for cancer men
Thursday June 28th, 2012
A dose of hormones could help men overcome the side-effects of treatment, British researchers say today.
A trial of testosterone treatment is about to be launched.
Researchers want to know if it will combat problems such as weight gain, reduced energy and reduced sex drive.
About 270 men aged between 25 and 50 will help test treatments, Cancer Research UK said.
Researcher Professor Richard Ross, from Sheffield University, said: “Low testosterone levels are a common long term side effect of treatment for certain male cancers, such as testicular cancer, lymphoma or acute leukaemia.
"We know that in a few cases those with very low levels will need hormone replacement therapy with testosterone.
"This study is looking at whether those with only slightly low levels of testosterone – a much larger group of men – would also benefit from this treatment.”
Kate Law, of Cancer Research UK, said: “It’s relatively uncommon for men to be diagnosed with cancer at a young age, but the good news is that younger patients are also more likely to survive their disease.
“Many of these men will have long term side effects as the result of their treatment, so finding a way to ease these symptoms is potentially very exciting, because it could really improve the quality of life for thousands of men in the UK."
Cancer patient James Ashton, aged 31, from Sheffield, said: “I know I’m one of the lucky ones because here I am today alive and well, but in terms of the long term side effects of my treatment I’ve had as rough a time as anyone.
"This trial is so important for young male cancer survivors like me, who have to live with the effects of having low testosterone levels as a result of their treatment."
Tags: Cancer | Men’s Health | UK News
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