The finasteride prostate cancer prevention trial (PCPT) - What have we
learned?

Mellon JK.
Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, University of
Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.

In 2003, the first of two large NCI-sponsored prostate cancer
chemoprevention trials was reported. The prostate cancer prevention
trial (PCPT) demonstrated a 24.8% reduction in the prevalence of
prostate cancer in men taking finasteride 5mg/d for 7years. However,
despite the overall reduced risk of prostate cancer, men in the
finasteride-treated arm of the study were more likely to develop
high-grade disease.
This article examines some of the controversies aroused by the PCPT and
evaluates some of the arguments that have been advanced in an attempt to
explain some of the unexpected outcomes of the study. In addition, some
of the recent studies assessing the potential impact of an effective
chemopreventive strategy on population mortality are reviewed.

To conclude, there is some discussion of factors, which need to be
openly discussed with male patients who might be considered for
finasteride therapy.

PMID: 16061372 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

knowledge is power - growing old is mandatory - growing wise is optional    
"Many more men die with prostate cancer than of it. Growing old is
invariably fatal. Prostate cancer is only sometimes so."
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