Mina Fam, MD, on managing expectations around testosterone replacement therapy

In a recent interview with Urology Times®, Mina M. Fam, MD, discussed some common misconceptions that patients have when seeking testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). As a urologic oncologist, Fam has recognized the value of TRT in patients with a cancer diagnosis. However, he stressed that expectations regarding the impact of TRT on issues such as fatigue and erectile dysfunction must be appropriately managed.

Fam is the medical director of urologic oncology and Jersey Shore University Medical Center and the medical director of robotic surgery at Ocean University Medical Center of Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey.

During the discussion, Fam emphasized that while TRT can help men with low testosterone feel better, there are often other factors, such as diabetes and cardiovascular health, that come into play. Men must be counseled on the need to address these factors as well in order to fully address their health needs. Specifically, he highlighted the need for patients to adopt healthy eating habits and partake in regular exercise.

According to Fam, “It has to be a total health revamping, if you will, of the patient in order for them to feel better in a lot of those categories.”