Androgen Deficiency Symptoms in Testicular Cancer Survivors Are Associated With Sexual Problems but Not With Serum Testosterone or Therapy

• Published in: Urology (Ridgewood, N.J.) N.J.), 2009-10, Vol.74 (4), p.825-829
• Main Authors: Lackner, Jakob E, Koller, Anke, Schatzl, Georg, Marberger, Michael, Kratzik, Christian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Androgens - deficiency; Deficiency Diseases - diagnosis; Deficiency Diseases - etiology; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal - blood; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal - complications; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal - therapy; Seminoma - blood; Seminoma - complications; Seminoma - therapy; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological - etiology; Survivors; Testicular Neoplasms - blood; Testicular Neoplasms - complications; Testicular Neoplasms - therapy; Testosterone - blood; Urology
• ISSN: 0090-4295; 1527-9995
• DOI: 10.1016/j.urology.2009.03.051

Objectives To investigate the association between androgen deficiency symptoms and sexual function, serum testosterone, and therapy in testicular cancer survivors (TCS). Methods A total of 83 patients treated for testicular cancer were investigated. All patients completed the International Index of Erectile Function-15 and the Aging Males Symptoms scale. Age, months of follow-up, treatment modality, and serum testosterone levels were measured. Scores for the erectile function, orgasmic function, sexual desire, intercourse satisfaction, and overall satisfaction subdomains of the International Index of Erectile Function-15 were calculated. Results Overall, almost half (47.0%) of TCS experienced clinical symptoms of androgen deficiency, 28.9% had erectile dysfunction, and 25.3% had laboratory-proven hypogonadism. TCS with clinical symptoms of androgen deficiency were significantly older (median age 45.0 vs 37.5 years, P = .001) and had a longer follow-up (median follow-up 48.0 vs 39.5 months, P = .985, respectively) than TCS without symptoms. TCS with clinical symptoms had significantly lower scores for erectile function ( P = .004), orgasmic function ( P = .05), sexual desire ( P = .001), intercourse satisfaction ( P = .005), and overall satisfaction ( P = .001) than those without symptoms. The aging males' symptoms correlated significantly with erectile dysfunction (r = −0.410, P = .001). In TCS with symptoms, age (r = −0.457, P = .003), but not treatment modalities ( r = 0.223, P = .173) or testosterone levels ( r = 0.205, P = .210), correlated with sexual function. Conclusions Clinical symptoms of androgen deficiency were associated with sexual problems and increasing age, but not with serum testosterone or treatment.