Hormonal Prevention of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer mortality rates varied significantly among populations, suggesting environmental factors played a role. The prostate was hormonally influenced, with evidence indicating that prolonged androgenic influence, particularly by dihydrotestosterone (DHT), encouraged prostate carcinogenesis. Suppressing DHT synthesis might inhibit this transformation. Preclinical and clinical observations supported this hypothesis, and a placebo-controlled randomized trial using finasteride, a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor, was ongoing to test if it could reduce prostate cancer incidence.