Using finasteride and dutasteride to prevent prostate cancer
February 13th, 2010 Posted in prostate cancer
A recent study at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has reanalyzed data regarding Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) to see if it is possible to address this problem.
The authors state two conclusions:
- Clinicians wishing to reduce the risk of any biopsy-detectable prostate cancer should recommend finasteride to all men.
- Clinicians who believe that it is unnecessary to prevent all cancers, but that preventing those readily detectable by screening would be desirable, would be best off recommending finasteride only to a high-risk subgroup.
My thoughts:
I am a urologist and I have no clue what in the world the above is saying. Did you know that Saw Palmetto is a very weak form of finasteride? Did you know that Propecia which is marketed as a hair growth is a weaker form of finasteride?
So….I am told by the drug reps who come to my office pushing these drugs that they lower the likelyhood of having surgery for an enlarged prostate.(These drugs shrink the prostate gland making it less vascular and less likely to cause obstructive voiding symptoms.) We already know that they help grow hair in male baldness men of which I am one.( I, however, don’t have a prostate.) And now we learn that these drugs may prevent prostate cancer.
I do not understand all I know about what I read in this paper. However, why not? Put patients on the meds with urinary symptoms that come with older age help them grow hair,(most have that issue), and prevent cancer( I guess that is what the folks above have concluded). I don’t have my gland anymore but I am losing hair daily. Decisions decisions decisions.
Prostate Diaries 