Source: DGNews  |  Posted 8 years ago

By Brian Reid

WASHINGTON, DC -- July 14, 2003 -- The results of an 18,000-patient trial showing that finasteride reduces the incidence of prostate cancer in older men is a positive sign, experts say.

Experts participating in the first public forum on the drug expressed cautious optimism, despite findings that the cancers that did develop in the treatment area were significantly more likely to be aggressive. Finasteride is now used to treat benign prostate hyperplasia and hair loss.

The forum was held at the 94th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research and was led by Christopher Logothetis, MD, professor and chairman of the department of genitourinary medical oncology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston, Texas, United States. Dr. Logothetis said the forum was added to the agenda earlier this month to "frame the challenges" posed by the trial.

"This trial