5α-Reductase Inhibitors Do Not Prevent the Development and Progression of Urothelial Cancer: In Vitro Evidence

The document from December 14, 2020, presents findings from an in vitro study which determined that 5α-reductase inhibitors (5α-RIs) such as dutasteride, finasteride, and epristeride do not prevent the development or progression of urothelial cancer. The study used a human non-neoplastic urothelial cell line and human bladder cancer lines to assess the effects of these drugs. While the androgen receptor antagonist bicalutamide significantly inhibited the proliferation of AR-positive bladder cancer cells, the 5α-RIs did not have a significant effect on inhibiting cell migration or the neoplastic transformation of cells treated with testosterone. The conclusion drawn was that 5α-RIs, even at high doses, do not impact the prevention of tumorigenesis or tumor progression in urothelial cancer.