The 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor dutasteride Avodart appears to delay disease progression and the initiation of active treatment in men with low-risk, localized prostate cancer, results of a 3-year international clinical trial indicate.Treatment with dutasteride also reduces cancer-related anxiety, study authors found.”The results prove that using active surveillance plus dutasteride is a viable, safe, and effective treatment option for men who often undergo aggressive local treatment despite low risk of dying from the disease,” said first author Neil Fleshner, MD, of the University of Toronto’s Princess Margaret Hospital.
via 5-ARI delays prostate cancer progression in men with low-risk disease – – ModernMedicine.
This is the first study I’ve seen that shows that 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors may help slow the progression of prostate cancer. These medicines are tolerated well by most patients and treatment with avodart can be considered.