Drugs May Help Healthy Men Lower Prostate Cancer Risk

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Healthy men with no signs of prostate cancer may wish to talk to their doctors about taking a drug that could further reduce their risk for the disease, new guidelines suggest.
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<p>The American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Urological Association have issued new guidelines recommending that these men talk to their doctors about using a 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5-ARI). These drugs -- which include finasteride (Propecia), used to treat male pattern baldness -- can reduce levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that spurs prostate cancer development.</p>
<p>Previous studies have been shown that 5-ARIs reduce risk of contracting the illness by 25 percent. </p>
<p>Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of death by cancer in men.</p>
<p>&quot;Although one in every six men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, we are not recommending that all men take 5-ARIs,&quot; co-chair of the guideline panel Dr. Barnett S. Kramer, associate director for disease prevention at the National Institutes of Health, stressed in a news release issued by the organizations. &quot;However, we would encourage men to begin a dialogue with their doctors to determine if they could benefit from taking 5-ARIs to reduce their prostate cancer risk.&quot; </p>
<p>The guidelines call for doctors to discuss the pro and cons of a 5-ARI with male patients who score a 3.0 or lower on a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, show no signs of prostate cancer, and receive (or plan to receive) regular disease screening. </p>
<p>The guidelines also suggest that men already taking a 5-ARI for other conditions should discuss continuing the medication as a way to prevent prostate cancer. Today, 5-ARIs are used to treat male-pattern baldness and benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate) among other non-cancerous conditions. </p>
<p>While supporting the guidelines, panel co-chair Dr. Paul F. Schellhammer noted that while 5-ARIs may decrease the risk of getting prostate cancer, it is not known whether these drugs reduce death from the disease. </p>
<p>&quot;However, the demonstrated effect of 5-ARIs in reducing prostate cancer incidence makes it reasonable to recommend them for use to prevent the disease,&quot; he said in the same news release. </p>
<p>The guidelines are scheduled to appear in the March issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology and The Journal of Urology. </p>