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.
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.