Testosterone enanthate in males is indicated as a replacement therapy in conditions associated with a deficiency or absence of endogenous testosterone. Some of the treated conditions are 1) primary hypogonadism, defined as testicular failure due to cryptorchidism, bilateral torsion, orchitis, vanishing testis syndrome or orchidectomy; 2) hypogonadotropic hypogonadism due to an idiopathic gonadotropin or luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone deficiency or due to a pituitary-hypothalamic injury from tumors, trauma or radiation, in this case it is important to accompany the treatment with adrenal cortical and thyroid hormone replacement therapy; 3) to stimulate puberty in patients with delayed puberty not secondary to a pathological disorder. If the conditions 1 and 2 occur prior to puberty, the androgen replacement therapy will be needed during adolescent years for the development of secondary sexual characteristics and prolonged androgen treatment might be needed it to maintain sexual characteristics after puberty.
In females, testosterone enanthate is indicated to be used secondarily in presence of advanced inoperable metastatic mammary cancer in women who are from one to five years postmenopausal. It has also been used in premenopausal women with breast cancer who have benefited from oophorectomy and are considered to have a hormone-responsive tumor.
Testosterone enanthate presents a long half-life in the range of 7-9 days.
