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Andropause: Symptom Management for Prostate Cancer Patients Treated With Hormonal Ablation

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

Correspondence: Charles L. Loprinzi, M.D., Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA. Telephone: 507-284-2511; Fax: 507-266-4972; e-mail: cloprinzi{at}mayo.edu

Andropause, or the age-related decline in serum testosterone, has become a popular topic in the medical literature over the past several years. Andropause includes a constellation of symptoms related to lack of androgens, including diminished libido, decreased generalized feeling of well-being, osteoporosis, and a host of other symptoms. The andropause syndrome is very prominent in men undergoing hormonal ablation therapy for prostate cancer. Most significant in this population are the side effects of hot flashes, anemia, gynecomastia, depression, cognitive decline, sarcopenia, a decreased overall quality of life, sexual dysfunction, and osteoporosis with subsequent bone fractures. The concept of andropause in prostate cancer patients is poorly represented in the literature. In this article, we review the current literature on the symptoms, signs, and possible therapies available to men who cannot take replacement testosterone.

Key Words. Prostatic neoplasms • Antineoplastic agents, hormonal • Androgens • Hot flashes • Osteoporosis • Impotence • Quality of life

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