Finasteride News and Research

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Finasteride is a synthetic antiandrogen which acts by inhibiting type II 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It is used as a treatment in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in low doses, and prostate cancer in higher doses. Finasteride competitively binds to and inhibits steroid type II 5-alpha-reductase in the prostate gland, liver, and skin, thereby interfering with the enzymatic conversion of testosterone to 5-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and reducing serum DHT levels. The reduction in serum DHT levels results in diminished stimulation of androgen receptors in the nuclei of prostate cells and, so, diminished prostate cell proliferation.

NCI-PCPT explores survival of men on finasteride drug

In the NCI-sponsored Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT), initial findings from a decade ago showed that the drug finasteride significantly reduced the risk of prostate cancer, but among those who did develop prostate cancer, paradoxically, the drug was associated with an increased risk of high-grade disease.

20 Aug 2013

Finasteride has ability to modulate alcohol intake, finds GW researcher

Researcher Michael S. Irwig, M.D., F.A.C.E., assistant professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and director of the Center for Andrology at The GW Medical Faculty Associates, found that men who used the medication finasteride (Propecia) and developed persistent sexual side effects, are also drinking less alcohol than before.

14 Jun 2013

Combination of novel drug therapy and PSA test can effectively detect prostate cancer

Researchers have successfully developed and tested a new prostate cancer screening method that uses the combined power of a novel drug therapy and changes in PSA levels over time to identify men with a high PSA who are more likely to have aggressive prostate cancer despite negative biopsies.

12 Aug 2012

Researchers develop and test new prostate cancer screening method

9 Aug 2012

Depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts more prevalent among former finasteride users

New research, to be published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, finds that men who developed persistent sexual side effects while on finasteride (Propecia), a drug commonly used for male pattern hair loss, have a high prevalence of depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts.

8 Aug 2012

Dutaseride may help prevent progression of early stage prostate cancer: Study

A new study suggests that men with early stage prostate cancer may benefit with drugs that can slow or stop the cancer’s progress. Less than 10 percent of the 100,000 men each year who are diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer and have the option of leaving the cancer in place. Rest get it removed using surgery or radiation. But those treatments can have serious side effects like impotence and incontinence.

24 Jan 2012

KSU professor turns to nutrition to tackle prostate cancer

A Kansas State University professor is turning to nutrition to tackle prostate cancer. Brian Lindshield, assistant professor of human nutrition, is helping men make more informed diet decisions by studying foods and dietary supplements that may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among men in the United States.

24 Jan 2012

Scientists identify molecular mechanism behind alcohol-induced blackouts

A person who drinks too much alcohol may be able to perform complicated tasks, such as dancing, carrying on a conversation or even driving a car, but later have no memory of those escapades. These periods of amnesia, commonly known as "blackouts," can last from a few minutes to several hours.

7 Jul 2011

Drugs for enlarged prostate raise cancer risk

According to health officials, this Thursday, a class of drugs meant to improve symptoms of an enlarged prostate gland may actually increase the chance of getting a more serious form of prostate cancer. However they also said the drugs' benefits outweigh the risks.

9 Jun 2011

Men with high DHA levels may face risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer

The largest study ever to examine the association of dietary fats and prostate cancer risk has found what's good for the heart may not be good for the prostate.

26 Apr 2011

PSA velocity is a poor predictor of prostate cancer

Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center have found that change in PSA levels over time — known as PSA velocity — is a poor predictor of prostate cancer and may lead to many unnecessary biopsies.

11 Apr 2011

Gene expression changes in prostate tissue surrounding cancer lesions may allow prostate cancer diagnosis

Researchers have found that gene expression changes in prostate tissue surrounding cancer lesions may allow diagnosis of prostate cancer even if no cancer cells are present in biopsy tissue, according to study results published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

8 Apr 2011

New study: Men who consume hair loss drug may report sexual dysfunction

A new study by The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, that will be published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, suggests men who take the drug finasteride, commonly marketed under the trademark names Propecia and Proscar, may report an on-going reduction in sex drive, and in some cases, prolonged periods of erectile dysfunction even after they stop using the medications.

18 Mar 2011

5a-reductase inhibitors for male health problems can affect sexual health

A new study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine reveals that, for the first time, 5a-reductase inhibitors commonly used to treat urinary problems in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and found in popular medications to treat hair loss, can produce, persistent erectile dysfunction (ED), depression and loss of libido, even after the medication has been discontinued.

7 Mar 2011

Variation in PSA levels does not predict prostate cancer, may lead to unnecessary biopsies

25 Feb 2011

Early balding linked to prostate cancer: Study

Balding early in life causes grief for many men and now new research will cause even more alarm. Researchers have found that early balding may be liked to prostate cancer.

16 Feb 2011

Men going bald at young age more likely to develop prostate cancer in later life

Men who start to lose hair at the age of 20 are more likely to develop prostate cancer in later life and might benefit from screening for the disease, according to a new study published online in the cancer journal, Annals of Oncology today.

15 Feb 2011

BPH, hair loss prevention drugs may produce adverse side effects in men

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine, in collaboration with colleagues at Lahey Clinic and from Denmark and Germany, have found that 5a-reductase inhibitors, while improving urinary symptoms in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and possible hair loss prevention, produces significant adverse effects in some individuals including loss of libido, erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory dysfunction and potential depression.

12 Jan 2011

FDA panel rejects expansion of drug label

The New York Times: A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee on Tuesday rejected a bid to change the labels of two drugs to say they can reduce the risk of prostate cancer. "If the drugs were approved for that purpose, they would be only the second class of cancer-prevention drugs on the market."

2 Dec 2010

Research suggests lowering cholesterol can reduce benign prostatic hyperplasia

A cholesterol-lowering drug reduced the enlarged prostates of hamsters to the same extent as a drug commonly used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), report researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and their colleagues in the October issue of the Journal of Urology. Together, the drugs worked even better.

22 Oct 2010