Prostate Drug Avodart Also Effective at Preventing Cancer, Doctors Say

Avodart, the GlaxoSmithKline PLC drug already given for problems caused by enlarged prostate, also significantly reduces the chances of prostate cancer in men who are at increased risk of the disease, according to new research.

In a large study, the drug reduced the risk of prostate cancer by 23 percent after four years of use. Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in American men, with about 186,000 new cases and 28,660 deaths annually.

Avodart now joins Proscar by Merck & Co. as drugs that show promise in preventing prostate cancer. Both drugs have been shown to shrink the prostate and reduce testosterone, the hormone that allows prostate cancer to grow. Health officials recently recommended that men take the drugs if they are regularly screened for prostate cancer.

New Study Finds Benefits

The new research focused on 8,200 men between the ages of 50 and 75 who were at increased risk of prostate cancer due to PSA blood tests, but had no signs of cancer. The men were given either Avodart’s generic equivalent – a drug called dutasteride — or placebo pills.

After two years, 17 percent of men taking placebos had prostate cancer, while just 13 percent of men taking Avodart did. After four years, cancer was found in another 12 percent of men on placebos and just nine percent being treated with Avodart.

Side Effects and Cost Possible Obstacles

However, some critics question the validity of the findings and note that Avodart and Proscar are only effective against less aggressive cancer tumors. There also are side effects of Avodart when taken for prevention of prostate cancer, including difficulty achieving an erection in some men.

Another factor is that Avodart is not cheap, costing about $3 a pill.

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