Reporting and ideal testosterone levels in men undergoing androgen deprivation for prostate cancer-time for a rethink?

Download
Author
Cabarkapa, S; Perera, M; Sikaris, K; O'Brien, JS; Bolton, DM; Lawrentschuk, NDate
2018-03-01Source Title
Prostate InternationalPublisher
ELSEVIER INCUniversity of Melbourne Author/s
Lawrentschuk, Nathan; Sikaris, Kenneth; Bolton, Damien; Perera, Marlon Lakmal; CABARKAPA, SONJAAffiliation
Surgery (Austin & Northern Health)Medical Education
Metadata
Show full item recordDocument Type
Journal ArticleCitations
Cabarkapa, S., Perera, M., Sikaris, K., O'Brien, J. S., Bolton, D. M. & Lawrentschuk, N. (2018). Reporting and ideal testosterone levels in men undergoing androgen deprivation for prostate cancer-time for a rethink?. PROSTATE INTERNATIONAL, 6 (1), pp.1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prnil.2017.05.003.Access Status
Open AccessAbstract
Background: This study aims to review current laboratory reporting strategies across Australia and New Zealand with a view to propose a more useful template for reporting serum testosterone in the context of prostate cancer. Materials and methods: Registered pathology laboratories in Australia and New Zealand were enrolled into the current study. An electronic or a phone survey was utilized to collect data from each participating laboratory. Obtained information included assay utilized, units reported, reference intervals, lowest reported value, and lowest detectable value. To identify recommendations for testosterone testing, a systematic search was performed across Web of Science (including MEDLINE), EMBASE, and Cochrane libraries. Results: Assessment of national pathology laboratories identified significant heterogeneity in the reporting methods. Reports typically used a "normal healthy male of 35 years of age" as a comparator but did not refer to optimal castrate levels, the lowest level that their assay was able to detect, nor did they include appended clinical guidelines relating to the prostate cancer patient cohort. Conclusions: Across Australia and New Zealand, various methods for testing and reporting serum testosterone exist, while international guidelines remain vague. The fashion in which serum testosterone levels are displayed should be re-evaluated to address the relevant clinical population and reflect an agreed-upon castrate threshold in patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy.
Export Reference in RIS Format
Endnote
- Click on "Export Reference in RIS Format" and choose "open with... Endnote".
Refworks
- Click on "Export Reference in RIS Format". Login to Refworks, go to References => Import References