Testosterone is made in the testes, but it’s the pituitary gland that really calls the shots: The pituitary gland transmits a chemical signal, called luteinizing hormone (LH), which motivates the testes to make testosterone. But LH can be blocked by a synthetic analog (a chemical look-alike that acts differently) of another of the body’s chemical [...]
So think about it: Has BPH changed your life? Are you still able to do everything you want to do? Or are you adjusting your life to accommodate your BPH—giving up seats to a baseball game, for instance, so you won’t have to endure the long lines in the men’s room? If you’re planning your [...]
LHRH agonists are another option. LHRH agonists shut down production of LH. The most commonly prescribed LHRH agonists are leuprolide and goserelin. These drugs are equivalent to treatment with DES or to surgical castration in their ability to lower testosterone and lengthen a man’s lifespan. A drug called ketoconazole blocks production of testosterone by targeting [...]
And testosterone brings us to the prostate. Testosterone circulates in the blood and enters the prostate by diffusion, like water through a tea bag. Soon it undergoes a metamorphosis. Testosterone is transformed, by an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase, into a hormone called DHT(dihydrotestosterone)—which is more than twice as powerful as testosterone. Several studies have shown that [...]
Radiation treatment means going to the hospital on a daily or near-daily basis and lying flat on your back or stomach on a table for a few minutes as a big X-ray machine (similar to, but larger than, ones you’ve seen at the dentist’s office) moves in an arc or circle over the targeted fields. [...]