Proscar and prostate cancer

[whynot73]

Went into a walk in clinic to get a new prescription for proscar (doc messed it up by not writing the 5mg), and ended up seeing a different doctor, who of course, refused to re write me a prescription. His reasons were due to the fact that the FDA apparently put a warning under proscar a few years back that it can cause increase risk of prostate cancer.

Anyways, I went home and did some research and I have yet to really see an article saying that there is actually a higher risk of developing cancer, just that Proscar can interfere with the detection of prostate cancer, allowing it to grow undetected. Can anyone confirm if this is correct, or if there is currently actually a higher risk of cancer from taking Fin/Pro.

Thanks for the help guys, hopefully I can get a prescription asap.

[mitchsmith]

I decided to look around, here's what I've found:

Here's the warning itself: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm258314.htm

The reason for this warning was a study done with a 18,000+ sample of men aged over 55 without apparent predisposition to prostate cancer. A short summary:

1) Finasteride group had 26% overall lower risk of prostate cancers (limited to Gleason score (GS) 6) when compared to placebo
2) Finasteride group also had a 0.7% increase in incidence of GS 8-10 prostate cancers.

26% less chances of lesser forms of prostate cancers, but 0.7% more chances of serious forms. In other studies I've read, mortality rates were just about the same in both finasteride and placebo groups.

You can take these findings to a doctor if you want.

[mitchsmith]

PS: Something else that can help you if someone pulls that card on you later on. The FDA's official position is that the benefits outweigh the risks. See here: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm258358.htm Good luck!

Q6. Does FDA believe the benefits of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) still outweigh their risks for the approved indications?

A. Yes. FDA believes that 5-ARIs remain safe and effective for their approved indications. Proscar and Avodart have been effective in controlling symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), as well as in reducing the risks of acute urinary retention and the need for surgical intervention related to BPH. Healthcare professionals and patients are still encouraged to discuss the risks and benefits of 5-ARIs when deciding the best treatment for their disease.

FDA will continue its risk/benefit assessment of using 5-ARIs for the treatment for male pattern hair loss and will update the public when additional information is available.