Hormesis is when a substance has one effect at small doses and another effect at high doses. The concept of hormesis may be important in prostate cancer. One theory is that the decline in testosterone as men age causes prostate cancer. Perhaps the diagram below will help.

Suppose that whenever testosterone drops below the normal zone men start to get prostate cancer. If that theory is true, then instead of hormone blockade for prostate cancer, men may need hormone supplementation.

Hormesis occurs when a substance or radiation my be beneficial at low does, but is quite toxic at higher doses.

This theory turns the conventional wisdom of hormone blockade for prostate cancer upside down. There are no articles on hormesis and prostate cancer on MEDLINE that I can find, in fact, most articles on hormesis deal with radiation or drugs that have nothing to do with prostate cancer.

References

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