The Association Between Low Preoperative Serum Testosterone and Post-radical Prostatectomy Urinary Function

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Endocrinology
• Oncology

Background:

• Radical prostatectomy (RP) can impact urinary function.
• Hypogonadism, or low testosterone, is common and may affect recovery.
• Preoperative factors can influence post-prostatectomy outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if hypogonadism delays urinary function recovery after RP.
• To assess the impact of preoperative testosterone levels on urinary continence post-RP.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 1209 patients undergoing RP.
• Assessed association between low preoperative testosterone (≤300 ng/dL) and urinary continence at 6 and 12 months.
• Used logistic regression adjusted for age and nerve-sparing status.

Main Results:

• No significant association found between low testosterone and impaired urinary continence at 6 or 12 months post-RP.
• Continence rates were nonsignificantly lower at 6 months and nonsignificantly higher at 12 months in men with low testosterone.
• Sensitivity analyses confirmed these findings, even when excluding certain patient groups.

Conclusions:

• Low serum testosterone does not appear to adversely affect urinary function recovery after radical prostatectomy.
• Findings can inform patient counseling, particularly for those in neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) trials or with prior ADT.
• Further research may explore potential subtle effects on early continence.