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Testosterone - confused

Cpmont
Cpmont CSN Member Posts: 13
in Prostate Cancer #1
If testosterone feeds prostate cancer why don't really young guys have higher instances than older guys with lower testosterone? It seems counter intuitive to me to reduce testosterone to treat prostate cancer. If the issue is testosterone conversion to estrogen why not block estrogen production?
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  • tarhoosier
    tarhoosier CSN Member Posts: 195 Member
    #2
    Why, indeed?
    Cpmont:
    There are many suggestions as to how and why prostate cancer arises. Continuing inflammation is one. Inflammation in this case does not mean soreness such as skin inflammation, just an interaction within the gland. The issue with testosterone is not cancer specific. The prostate is an organ that is sexual in function and thus responds to male hormones, similar to the testes. If prostate cancer cells arise they can be affected by less testosterone, not because they are cancerous, but only because they are from the prostate. They are prostate cells first.
    Children before the age of puberty have a small, poorly formed prostate and do not develop cancer there. It occasionally arises in men in their twenties and continues to increase throughout life. This suggests that a long period of interaction within the gland is necessary for the cancer cells to develop. The whole process is RELATED to testosterone, but is not CAUSED by it. T "feeds" prostate cells, and thus promotes prostate cancer cells, as well.
    I am unclear on your T>E proposition.
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