Prostate Cancer Study Proves Drug Delays Disease Progression

For men diagnosed with low-risk, localized prostate cancer, being treated with the drug dutasteride (“Avodart”) delays disease progression and initiating active treatment, and also reduces anxiety, show the results of a 3-year international clinical trial led by Dr. Neil Fleshner, Head of the Division of Urology, University Health Network (UHN).

The findings are published online today in The Lancet. “The results prove that using active surveillance plus dutasteride is a viable, safe and effective treatment option for men who often undergo aggressive local treatment despite low risk of dying from the disease,” says Dr. Fleshner, a surgical oncologist in UHN’s Princess Margaret Cancer Program and Professor of Surgery at the University of Toronto. Dr. Fleshner also holds the Love Chair in Prostate Cancer Prevention Research.

“This is very good news for men with low-risk disease because aggressive treatment can have a major impact on their quality of life, with risks of impotence and incontinence,” says Dr. Fleshner.

Read more at: http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/584901/?sc=dwhr&xy=10006693

Source: Newswise