(395) Our Experience with Subcutaneous Injection of Non-Proprietary Testosterone Cypionate as a Novel Approach for Hypogonadism

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Subcutaneous injection of testosterone has been investigated as a method of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in hypogonadal men. We have been investigating the use of a non-proprietary subcutaneous (SubQ) injection of testosterone cypionate using a ½ inch 27g needle for replacement to treat hypogonadism. This is an update on our work which includes a larger sample size and longer follow up. Objective To assess the use of non-proprietary SubQ TRT as treatment in hypogonadal men and its effect on HCT, PSA, and patient satisfaction. Methods This study is a retrospective chart review of patients receiving SubQ TRT with a mean follow up length of 9.8 months (range 0-24 months). Patient data was collected prior to initiation of therapy and at subsequent visits. Testosterone, HCT, and PSA were determined through regular blood draws and a patient satisfaction survey was performed over the phone. Univariate analysis and paired t-tests were used to analyze study variables. Results 41 total patients received SubQ TRT. Mean changes in total testosterone level (increased 281.3 + 81.1, p-value=0.0008), hematocrit (increased 1.5 + 1.0), PSA (increased 0.4 + 0.4), SHIM score (increased 3.8 + 1.4, p-value=0.0088) and AUA symptom score (decreased 0.9 + 1.6) were calculated at the patients’ initial visit and most recent follow up while still on SubQ TRT (Table 1). A total of 30 patients had been on various combinations of TRT before switching to SubQ including IM (13), CC (13) Testopel (8), HCG (2) SubQ (2), T gel (1) and Anastrozole (1). Data on the most frequent TRTs is demonstrated in Table 2. Patient satisfaction surveys were completed by 32 patients (78%), with 26 (81.2%) patients reporting overall satisfaction with SubQ TRT versus 45% (9/20) with past forms of TRT. 93.7% (15/16) reported SubQ TRT was both easier and less painful, and 73.6% (14/19) preferred SubQ injections over their previous form of TRT. Reasons for stopping SubQ TRT included unrelated stroke (1), prostate cancer (1), development of scar tissue (1) or bruising (1), ineffective therapy (1), difficulty drawing up the syringe (1), cost (1), and trouble obtaining medication from the pharmacy (1). Conclusions The use of non-proprietary testosterone cypionate SubQ as treatment for hypogonadism results in an elevation in serum total testosterone and improvement on both SHIM and AUA symptom scores at follow up. PSA and HCT rose over the span of treatment, but the rises were not statistically significant, and no patient developed erythrocytosis. Our data demonstrate SubQ TRT is easier and less painful to use and scores higher on overall patient satisfaction compared to other forms of TRT. Disclosure No