Prostate Cancer Incidence Among Finasteride and Alpha-Blocker Users in the Finnish Prostate Cancer Screening Trial
August 2009
in “
British Journal of Cancer
”
TLDR Finasteride might lower the risk of low-grade prostate cancer but not high-grade cancer, while alpha-blockers might reduce high-grade cancer risk.
In an observational cohort study within the Finnish Prostate Cancer Screening Trial involving 23,320 men, researchers found that finasteride users had a decreased incidence of low-grade prostate tumors (Gleason 2-6) but no significant change in the incidence of high-grade tumors (Gleason 7-10) compared to non-users. Alpha-blocker users showed no significant change in overall prostate cancer risk but had a decreased incidence of high-grade tumors. The study concluded that finasteride may have a protective effect against low-grade prostate cancer in men treated for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). However, the study had limitations, including a small number of advanced cancer cases and incomplete data on risk factors and finasteride use duration. The study suggests further research is needed to assess finasteride's potential to reduce prostate cancer mortality.
