Can Taking Proscar Reduce the Risk of Prostate Cancer?
QUESTION: Does the long-term use of Proscar reduce the risk of prostate cancer? ANSWER: Almost 200,000 men develop prostate cancer in the United States every year; it’s the second most common type of cancer among American men. There are several well-defined risk factors for this malignancy: Age—the incidence is very low below the age of 50 but increases sharply thereafter. Race—at greatest risk are blacks, and least vulnerable are Asians. Genetics—you’re more likely to develop prostate cancer if other men in your family have had the disease. Proscar (finasteride) is effective in shrinking an enlarged prostate and reducing its symptoms. In a large study of 18,000 men, it also lowered the risk of prostate cancer by 25%. However, it does so at a cost. It lowers your PSA (prostate-specific antigen) level, an important marker for prostate cancer, so that the measurement is less reliable as an indicator of early malignancy in this gland. In addition, some men who take the drug become impoten
