Avodart Reduces Risk of Prostate Cancer

A widely used drug for relieving symptoms of prostate enlargment may modestly reduce the risk of biopsy detected prostate cancer. Avodart helps shrink the prostate gland by blocking the enzyme that converts testosterone to dehydrotestosterone, which contributes to prostate tissue growth. The four-year study tracked nearly 7,000 men who were considered at high risk for prostate cancer. Half received Avodart, while the other half received a look-alike placebo. The men taking Avodart were a little less likely to have prostate cancer detected on biopsy by the end of the study. An accompanying editorial in The New England Journal of Medicine expressed disappointment that the drug did not appear to reduce the risk of high-grade tumors, which are most likely to be lethal.
[New England Journal of Medicine, April 1, 2010]