In recent years, research has been highly focused on the link between high testosterone levels and cancer risks, as well as cardiovascular events such as heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots.

Testosterone therapy lawsuits have been filed by men alleging they suffered heart attacks, stroke and blood clots from using testosterone products such as AndroGel and AndroDerm.

One new study shows that testosterone may increase the risk of men developing colon cancer while another fails to find a connection to an increased risk of prostate cancer.

In probably one of the most quantifiable studies to date, published in The Journal of Urology, over 1,000 men who used testosterone replacement therapy were at no greater risk for development of prostate cancer than men who were not on the therapy.

In another study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in November, lead researcher James Amos-Landgraf examined a group of male rats with naturally occurring colon cancer.

Dr. Amos-Landgraf, an assistant professor of veterinary pathobiology at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, then removed testosterone from the rats and the colon cancer rates drastically decreased. When he placed the testosterone back into the rats, the colon cancer rates returned to normal.

Dr. Amos-Landgraf concluded that by showing that removing testosterone from rats leads to a drastic decrease in colon cancer susceptibility, giving the impression that testosterone may actually contribute to colon cancer.

Cancer Not The Only Low-T Risk

Testosterone replacement therapy may have serious side effects and long-term risks and recent studies have suggested that many men may face a substantially increased risk of heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, blood clots, and death.

In November 2013, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggested that men with certain heart problems may be 29 percent more likely to die, suffer a heart attack or stroke on testosterone therapy.

In 2009, researchers halted a study that was funded by the National Institutes of Health due to the cardiovascular risks with testosterone treatments. That study involved 200 older men with a high prevalence of heart disease. Those receiving testosterone therapy were found to have a spike in the rate of heart attacks, leading the researchers to cancel the study early.

In January, a study published in the medical journal PLoS One further highlighted the concerns, finding that men over the age of 65 and younger men with pre-existing heart disease may face a two-fold increased risk of heart attacks from low testosterone treatment.

Testosterone Product Lawsuits

There are currently over 270 testosterone therapy lawsuits pending in Illinois that allege that men taking low testosterone treatment drugs such as AndroGel, Androderm, Testim and other low-t drugs caused them to suffer heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiac events.

The multidistrict litigation, or MDL, claims that testosterone manufacturers failed to warn consumers about the potential risks associated with testosterone products.

The Testosterone Drug MDL is In re: Testosterone Replacement Therapy Product Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2545, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.