Did every man receive finasteride?
No. The PCPT was a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The men in the PCPT were randomized (selected by chance) to receive either finasteride or a placebo (an inactive pill that looks like finasteride). Half of the men in the study took finasteride, and half took a placebo. Neither the participant nor his PCPT physician knew which pill the participant was receiving. Setting up a study in this way allows researchers to see the true benefits and side effects of an intervention (in this case, finasteride) without the influence of other factors such as the expectations of participants or researchers. All men in the study were assigned to take one pill per day for seven years, either a 5 milligram dose of finasteride or a placebo. • How were the men monitored for side effects and for prostate cancer? PCPT participants visited the study site twice a year and were contacted by phone twice a year to monitor their health and the occurrence of side effects. Participants were asked abo
