finasteride and prostate cancer risk

[medilook]

My dr told me that finasteride reduces risk of prostrate cancer but recently I heard that it can increase your chance of developing aggresive prostate cancer. Do u still think its worth t?

 

[ladysmanfelpz]

I did a big undergraduate project on it and its still up in the air. I can bring up some old articles with the tables and stats if you really want me too. So what I took away from my research and anybody on the drug should know that finasteride will decrease your DHT levels but also elevate your T levels. Since 5AR is in the prostate this is most extreme in the organ. It will inhibit formation of DHT in the prostate but also increase intraprostatic T levels 7 fold! Don't be worried tho because they are very low to begin with. There were many articles and studies specifically looking at finasteride to reduce prostate cancer risk and it was proven effective, but also in the study they used finasteride and dutasteride on men who already had prostate cancer. The ones without did not develop prostate cancer and lowered their risk of prostate cancer as well by shrinking the organ and also lowering prostate specific antigen (PSA), an antigen proven to play a key role in the cancer. Those with the cancer it mediated it for a couple years, but after about 2 years or so their cancer developed into higher grade cancer. So my interpretation is that DHT causes prostate cancer and T will cause the cancer to proliferate. So if you are of young age and not at a high risk for cancer you are fine. You are actually helping prevent it. If you are at the age of high risk or prostate cancer runs in your family I would get checked regularly.