Bladder Cancer Survival in Men Using 5-Alpha-Reductase Inhibitors
March 2018
in “
European Urology Supplements
”
TLDR Using 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors may improve bladder cancer survival in men.
The study examined the effects of 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) on bladder cancer survival in 10,720 Finnish men diagnosed between 1997 and 2012. It found that pre-diagnostic and post-diagnostic use of 5-ARIs was associated with a reduced risk of bladder cancer-specific death, with hazard ratios of 0.84 and 0.77, respectively. The risk reduction was more pronounced with longer use. In contrast, alpha-blockers did not significantly affect bladder cancer survival. The findings suggested that 5-ARIs could improve bladder cancer outcomes by potentially influencing androgen-related cancer progression.