Finasteride: What are the latest... - Prostate Cancer N...

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Finasteride

AMT4566 profile image
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What are the latest findings on the effects of Finasteride on prostate cancer? Thank you in advance

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AMT4566
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10 Replies
Tall_Allen profile image
Tall_Allen

Finasteride may be used for several purposes. There is nothing in your profile. Why are you taking it?

AMT4566 profile image
AMT4566 in reply toTall_Allen

thank you very much for your reply. I’m currently under active surveillance, GS 6 since few months ago. I’m not taking it currently. I

A friend mentioned it working for migraine headaches, something I suffer frequently from. I was thinking of taking it for that purpose, however came across some study showing it may have negative impact on more aggressive PCs. That’s why I thought I would ask info here and if anyone knows about the latest findings. I would appreciate any insights. Thank you again in advance

Tall_Allen profile image
Tall_Allen in reply toAMT4566

IMO, it is a very good idea oncologically for men on active surveillance. See Section I on 5ARis:

prostatecancer.news/2022/06...

(there are links to studies refuting the negative impact on more aggressive PCa)

About 20% of men get ED from those drugs, so you have to decide if the risk is one you want to take. Consider taking with daily Cialis.

AMT4566 profile image
AMT4566 in reply toTall_Allen

Thank you so very much again for your responses. This was very helpful

zeddy54 profile image
zeddy54

Hi. Just a warning that finasteride can suppress the PSA level, and thereby can result in an apparently lower PSA result, whereas prostate cancer can be progressing albeit undetected. This happened with my father in law, but we were not aware of this scenario, and his Urologist was likewise either ignorant or uncaring. My father in law consequently died OF (not with) metastatic prostate cancer with an artificially suppressed PSA level of 7.5 due to being on finasteride, until the later few months when PSA rose but far too late for any effective treatment options.

These days, with MpMRI scans, etc available, then hopefully such a scenario would be avoided.

AMT4566 profile image
AMT4566 in reply tozeddy54

Thanks very much. You raise a good point.

janebob99 profile image
janebob99

I've done a lot of research about Dutasteride (2nd generation Finesteride) and have about 15 papers about it. If you send me a private message with your email address, I will email you a few of the most relevant papers.

Case in point. My own PSA was rising quickly from 5 to 10 over 8 months. I had a MRI that discovered a 1.3 cm long tumor (PIRADS 5).

At the same time my DHT was measured as High. Then, I read that DHT is 10 times more potent than testerosterone. A light went off in my head, and I started taking Dutasteride monotherapy to reduce my DHT. On just Dutasteride (No ADT, No RT or RP), my PSA dropped from 10 to 2.4 over 5 months. See my attached PSA history.

Now, it's important to know that 25-30% of men don't respond to Dutasteride. This could be why it's not prescribed more often. The only way to tell if you are a good responder is to try the medication for 3-4 months, and see if your PSA drops by about 50% (which is typical).

I will send you information on the "negative impact on more aggressive PCs", which has been thoughly debunked by subsequent analyses in multiple papers.

The gold standard for any drug treatment is if the tumor shrinks. This has been studied.

They did a randomized, double-blind trial men with PCa, compraring Dutasteride to Placebo. They used a MRI machine to measure the tumor size, and found that after only 6 months that men taking Dutasteride had their tumors shrink by an average of 31%, compared to men on placebo whose tumors grew 17%. This result demonstrates that Dutasteride is an effective drug to significantly shrink tumor size.

Three other studies on N=4000, 4500, and 8000 men have found that Dutasteride monotherapy reduces PCa by an average of 40% (range is 23 - 51% reduction), with no increased risk of high-grade cancers (Gleason scores 8-10).

There is no evidence that Dutasteride is a "cure". But, rather, it delays progression and buys you time so that you can learn about all of your treatment options, and make an informed decision what to do next. It's relatively inexpensive, and has a good safety profile.

Bob

PSA history
AMT4566 profile image
AMT4566 in reply tojanebob99

Thank you very much for your response. DM sent per your suggestion.

Green_Black_Tea profile image
Green_Black_Tea

Hello,

It's great that you're looking into this. Here's a summary of the latest findings on Finasteride and prostate cancer:

Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT): Finasteride reduced overall prostate cancer risk by about 25% but showed a higher detection rate of high-grade cancers. These cancers are more detectable, not necessarily more dangerous.

Long-term Outcomes: Finasteride doesn't increase prostate cancer mortality, just detection rates of high-grade cancers.

Active Surveillance: Finasteride might shrink the prostate, affecting how your cancer is monitored. Discuss this with your doctor.

Migraine Relief: While some report migraine relief with Finasteride, this isn't well-documented. It's safer to explore conventional migraine treatments.

Recommendations:

- Consult Your Oncologist: Talk about the benefits and risks of Finasteride for your case.

- Explore Other Migraine Treatments: Consider safer, established migraine therapies.

- Stay Informed: Follow updates from reliable sources like the American Cancer Society.

The highest quality Finasteride you can get here - global-world-delivery.com/s...

Best of luck with your health management!

AMT4566 profile image
AMT4566 in reply toGreen_Black_Tea

Thank you for your message. Much appreciated

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