Lyle Alzado, a renowned American football star, attributed his brain tumor to steroid use before his death in 1992, sparking the narrative that “steroids cause cancer.” However, the link between androgen abuse and various forms of cancer remains a complex and debated topic.
While exogenous testosterone, particularly in the context of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), has not been strongly linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer, the potential risks associated with other androgens, especially when abused, remain uncertain. A recent study aimed to shed light on this issue by evaluating a cohort of long-term androgen users.
The study focused on men who were expelled from Danish fitness centers due to suspected androgen use as part of an anti-doping initiative. Researchers tracked these individuals, with an average age of 27, for approximately 11 years and compared them to a control group of non-users.
Surprisingly, the study found that the incidence rate of all forms of cancer (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) was similar between the androgen users and the control group. Notably, none of the 1,189 androgen users developed prostate or breast cancer during the study period.
Despite these findings, the study has several limitations that warrant consideration. Cancers like prostate and breast cancer are rare in men under 50, suggesting that the follow-up period may not have been long enough to detect potential increases in cancer cases. Additionally, not all individuals identified as androgen users may have been abusing androgens specifically, given the broad range of doping substances.
Interestingly, the study revealed that among those who did receive a cancer diagnosis, androgen users had a significantly lower survival rate over a 10-year period post-diagnosis compared to the control group. However, this observation may be influenced by various factors beyond androgen use, highlighting the complexity of attributing outcomes solely to androgen abuse.
The study’s findings offer some reassurance to androgen users regarding cancer risk over an average of 11 years. Nevertheless, given the typical age of cancer diagnosis in the mid-60s, longer-term follow-up studies are needed to provide a more definitive understanding of cancer risks associated with androgen abuse. In the meantime, mitigating cardiovascular risks associated with androgen use remains a key focus for healthcare professionals.
