Drug for Enlarged Prostate May Help Some Prostate Cancer Patients

Dutasteride, a drug used to treat an enlarged prostate, could provide added benefits to active surveillance for men with low-risk prostate cancer, according to a new study.

The research was funded by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoXmithKline, which makes a branded version of the drug. The findings were published in the journal The Lancet on Monday.

A diagram of the area surroundign the prostate is seen in a diagram provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (WomensHealth.gov/Handout)

A diagram of the area surroundign the prostate is seen in a diagram provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (WomensHealth.gov/Handout)

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The 3 year study was led by Dr. Neil Flescher, a researcher at University Health Network and professor at the University of Toronto. It involved 302 participants between the ages of 48 and 82.

Participants were given the dutasteride daily or a placebo. Researchers tracked prostate cancer progression by taking core prostate biopsy samples  after 18 months and 3 years.

By 3 years, 38 percent of men taking dutasteride had prostate cancer progression. Forty-eigh percent of the control group had cancer progression.

“This is very good news for men with low-risk disease because aggressive treatment can have a major impact on their quality of life, with risks of impotence and incontinence,” says Fleshner said.