Does Testosterone Cause Cancer?

Overview

Testosterone is known as the dominant sex hormone found in men. It assists significantly in forming and molding the physique of a man; it builds his muscles and also develops his sex organs. This testosterone hormone also aids in promoting sexual interest in men. This hormone is also found in animals too. Women’s ovaries also produce these hormones, but they provide it in small quantities.

The production of testosterone in your body is very high during puberty and the age of thirty. Still, past that, the level of testosterone begins to wane, and you become unable to perform well in bed as you are expected to. Testosterone production can be reduced or lowered in most mains as a result of certain factors like overeating or eating too little, over-exercising or little or no exercise, too much stress, and also aging of which aging is the highest causing factor.

It is fair to say that testosterone is related mainly to sex drive as it aids in the production of sperm, not forgetting that it plays a significant role in the development of bone and muscle mass. Most men often experience considerable mood swings, and this is closely related to their testosterone levels.

While it is natural for the production of the testosterone hormone in men to decrease, factors like cancer treatments such as radiation or even chemotherapy and injury to the testicles can significantly damage the level of testosterone hormone a man can produce.

There are other causes of low production of the testosterone hormone in males, such as severe health problems and stress; these include:

• Kidney disease
• Alcoholism
• HIV or AIDS
• Cirrhosis of the liver

While testosterone is associated with your sexual interest and drive, it also aids in fat storage and the production of the red blood cells. It becomes abnormal when your testosterones are either too high or too low, as this can cause significant harm to your physical and mental health. You can have your doctor check your testosterone level with just a simple blood test and be recommended a testosterone therapy if needed.

Testosterone is a potent hormone that also aids in increasing your energy; that is, it makes you energetic and able to carry out activities as you please. It can even go to the length of influencing your human behavior; you could become more competitive or even aggressive. But as you start to age, the level of testosterone present in your body starts to wane. And as a result of this, there can be noticeable changes such as less interest in having sex.

The highest levels of testosterone in men are most present during the adolescence and adulthood phase of their lives. In boys, the first sign of the testosterone hormone or androgens is present during the puberty stage. A boy would start to experience changes in his voice. He would develop hairs, his shoulder would begin to broaden, and he would develop a more masculine facial structure. And at the age of thirty, the ability of a man to produce enough sex hormone begins to decrease.

Testosterone in Women

It is well known that testosterone is found more in men than it is in women. It is the primary sexual hormone produced in men, while in women; it is needed for the healthy functioning of your body. Estrogen is found more in women than in men, and a woman’s estrogen level tends to wane when she reaches her menopause.  And this can result in a higher degree of male hormones known as androgens in her system.

A woman can experience high testosterone because of some diseases like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).  Excess testosterone in women is dangerous and can cause harmful occurrences, such as:

• Acne
• Growth of facial hair
• Loss of scalp hair
• Infertility
• Irregular or absent menses

Just as high testosterone can cause damages to women, so can low testosterone levels in women be harmful to women. It can lead to loss of interest in having sex and weak bones, and in extreme cases, it leads to fertility problems.

Effects of abnormal Testosterone levels

While it is normal for your testosterone level to reduce as you age, other underlying factors aids in lowering the testosterone hormone in your body. These include:

• Depression
• Thyroid gland disorders
• Excessive alcohol use of alcohol
• Reactions to certain particular medications

If a woman’s testosterone level is lower than the normal, it could be caused by factors or conditions like:

• Failure of the testicles
• Delayed or early puberty
• Cancer of the ovaries or testes
• Hypogonadism is a condition whereby the sex organs are not capable of producing the required amount of hormones.
• Chronic conditions like kidney diseases or diabetes
• Opioid severe obesity
• Sever obesity which is gotten from birth like the Klinefelter syndrome.
• Chemotherapy or radiation

If your testosterone levels are higher than the normal range, it could be caused by:

• Testicular or Adrenal tumors
• Congenital adrenal hyperplasia(CAH) in women
• PCOS

Just as women go through menopause, men go through a decrease in their testosterone level, and this testosterone is the hormone responsible for muscle building, sex interest, sperm production, fat distribution, bone density, and red blood cell production. Testosterone is the hormone responsible for the sex drive in men and also high libido; a reduction in your testosterone could lead to a decrease in libido.

As some men age, they experience specific symptoms related to sex because of a lowered testosterone in their system, and these may include: a reduced desire for sex, infertility, and fewer firm erections that happen involuntarily like during sleep.

Does testosterone cause cancer? When men experience low testosterone hormonal levels, they sort to find other options or supplements that can boost up their testosterone level and trigger their interest in having sex. Testosterone therapy has been noted to increase the level of testosterone in men. However, some research has shown that testosterone can aid in the development of cancer growth.

What is the connection?

Research has shown that when the level of testosterone in a man reduces, their cancer also eventually reduces. The study also depicted that when men with cancer are given testosterone supplements, their cancer tends to increase. This made researchers conclude that testosterone aids in increasing the growth of cancer.

Further researches have shown that an effective method of reducing cancer is by partaking in hormone therapy, which helps to slow down cancer growth by reducing the amount of the testosterone hormone in the body. So, they came to the conclusion that testosterone aids in cancer growth.

What causes prostate cancer?

Although there is still an ongoing debate on whether testosterone aids in causing prostate cancer, there are some other reasons why you could be experiencing cancer, these include:

• As you get older, the risk at which you are liable to have cancer rises.
• Gene or family history. You could contract prostate cancer through your genes because it runs in families. Genes that are closely connected to prostate cancer are CAPB, HPC1, BRCA1, BRCA2, and HPCX.
• If you have a high-fat, high-carbohydrate intake and a highly-processed diet, you could likely increase your risk of having cancer.
• Research has shown that Hispanic or white men are less susceptible to having prostate cancer than African-American.

How can you reduce your risk?

While it is shown that some factors cause cancer that cannot be controlled like race or age, other factors can aid in reducing your risk of having cancer.

• Adjusting your diet is a sure way to reduce your risk of having prostate cancer; you can achieve this by eating a mostly plant-based diet, lots of fruits like cooked tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower. Experts claim h that men who eat plenty of saturated fat have more risks of cancer.
• Managing your weight is the right way of reducing the risk of having prostate cancer, and you can lose excess weight by having the right diet plan and an exercise routine.
• If you want to reduce your risk of having prostate cancer, you should avoid or quit smoking because the smoke, tobacco, has been seen to cause an increase in cancer.
• It sounds weird, but eating more fish is a tested and proven way to reduce your risks of having cancer because it contains omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce the risk of having cancer.

Conclusion

To conclude, testosterone is the dominant sex hormone found in males which helps in the development of male sex organs and physique. A reduction in the level of testosterone in a male leads to low sex drive and less firm erection. It has been noted that testosterone aids in increasing the risks of having cancer in males and this could be further enhanced by taking a testosterone supplement.

There are various ways to reduce your chances of having cancer like having a healthy diet, watching your weight, and definitively avoiding smoking.