Finasteride & Cancer.

[sam-]

From: MERCK & CO., INC. PROPECIA (Finasteride) Tablets, 1 mg, Doctor# 9328504.

--Approximately 90% of circulating finasteride is bound to plasma proteins. Finasteride has been found to cross the blood-brain barrier.---

--During a 4- to 6-year placebo- and comparator-controlled study that enrolled 3047 men, there were 4 cases of breast cancer in men treated with PROSCAR but no cases in men not treated with PROSCAR. In another 4-year, placebo-controlled study that enrolled 3040 men, there were 2 cases of breast cancer in placebo-treated men, but no cases were reported in men treated with PROSCAR.---

--In a 7-year placebo-controlled trial that enrolled 18,882 healthy men, 9060 had prostate needle biopsy data available for analysis. In the PROSCAR group, 280 (6.4%) men had prostate cancer with Gleason scores of 7-10 detected on needle biopsy vs. 237 (5.1%) men in the placebo group. Of the total cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in this study, approximately 98% were classified as intracapsular (stage T1 or T2). The clinical significance of these findings is unknown.---

Plus this article from the cnn site:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/conditio ... index.html


I don't know , but I've decided to use finasteride in the beginning but after deeply researching it, I decided to use only Tricomin & Nazoral.
I'm not bashing here, but its really hard to use a medicine for a life-time with those risks.

what do you think folks, can you convince me otherwise!!!

 

[mvpsoft]

What risks? Those studies show that the incidence of cancer in both the control and study groups was well within the margin of error.

 

[juststarting]

Also, some things to remember.

• 
  1. WHAT IS THE STUDY POPULATION!? I.e. How old are these people? Are there people in the study population more at risk for these types of cancers already?
  
  2. Proscar group was getting 5mg, finasteride is 1mg. Kinda of a difference there don't you think? Remember, saccrine? Well, for yearrs people thought it caused cancer (heck, sweet & low had to label itself as a carcinogen!). Well guess what, the studies that found this used MASSIVE amounts of sacrine in the test animals to get this change. Amounts so high that it wouldn't even be possible to get in years of average usages -- how do I know this, my relative did the research and said it was bull sh*t. Result, saccrine no longer has a carcinogen label.
  
  3. And if they were getting proscar, my guess is that the population consisted of OLDER men who already were at risk (or even had a pre-existing condition) for prostate problems.
  
  4. Blood brain barrier, that's cute, but not a big scary deal. What's your point? Uhm, your multi-vitamin crosses the blood brain barrier too
  
  5. As previous poster mentions, the % difference is within the margin of no difference.
  
  6. Remember the statistics mantra in STats 101, correlation is not causation!

So, I ask you, please grab the *actual* paper and read it. That's what I do. Summaries are bull sh*t, and this isn't even a summary I bet written by the authors.

Unfortunately, research is extremely tricky, as study populations massively effect your results. I respect your decision to stop finasteride, I am still debating it myself. But before you come to conclusions (and probably to get consolation with your decision by getting others to join in a nice *group thnk* with you by posting) do so with the actual studies, not a summary written about a study.

 

[Matgallis]

In my study of prostate cancer related to propecia was almost the same. I found that the chance of getting prostate cancer is lower (while on propecia), but if you do get prostate cancer it is terminal (type 2?).

 

[Deaner]

The only scary thing is, does this mean there's no warning signs for cancer while on finasteride, then all of a sudden BLAM you've got terminal cancer? I mean, yea, okay, so cancer incidences are lower, but if you do get cancer, it sneaks up on you and there ain' sh*t you can do to prevent it? Just a question, this isn't a statement, so nobody get freaked out, I just wanna know.

 

[mvpsoft]

What the various studies show is that finasteride tends to make an already existing case of prostate cancer more aggressive, i.e., it progresses faster. That doesn't mean it "sneaks up on you," prostate cancer is one of the slowest-growing cancers there are. If you are concerned about it, get a PSA test done annually. That along with a rectal exam will detect prostate cancer in most cases.

 

[worried]

From the CNN article...

"For young men using the drug to promote hair growth, "I certainly wouldn't want to be taking a drug that potentially promotes cancer of the mean types," Dartmouth's Wasson said. "First, do no harm, that's the bottom line with any drug or treatment ... if you're a young guy, you should really be concerned about finasteride." "



Does this mean that finasteride might speed up the rate at which a man would contract prostate cancer or what? 20 years old and a little worried.

 

[gonna_win]

From what I understand, If you use finasteride there is no higher risk of getting prostate cancer, however If you do get prosate cancer while on finasteride it's of a more agressive form(more dangerous to the person) than those who get prostate cancer and are not on finasteride.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/conditions/06/24/prostate.cancer.drug/index.html

By the end of the trial, those taking the drug reduced their risk of prostate cancer by nearly 25 percent over those on placebos.

Mortality in both groups was the same: Five in each group died of prostate cance

Finally I think that everyone here should not take these news articles on health seriously, they are summaraised and make generalisations. If you want to know what's really going on find out who conducted the study and ask for a copy of the report.


This CNN article does not even mention the amount of finasteride taken and who by? Was it taken by people that take 5mg(proscar) to help with prostate enlargement problems or male pattern baldness sufferers? 5mg and 1mg are quite dofferent the article does not mention jack it could be 0.00000000000001mg of finasteride WHO KNOWS? not CNN

 

[juststarting]

Finally I think that everyone here should not take these news articles on health seriously, they are summaraised and make generalisations. If you want to know what's really going on find out who conducted the study and ask for a copy of the report.

Thank you for saying this!!! Please people, stop going to CNN, MSNBC for your science research and then coming here and posting this cr*p. The news channels/shows/whatever destroy *real* science ALL THE TIME to make things into headlines that will sell (aka scare/shock/awe).

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE start using PRIMARY SOURCE MATERIALS. Try pubmed, hell, even go to Merck for their PDF research papers.

 

[juststarting]

Meanwhile, the original poster hasn't even bothered to come back to read this thread. yet, we keep perpetuating this mis-information he started, and having to set people straight.

 

[kemmpo55]

From: MERCK & CO., INC. PROPECIA (Finasteride) Tablets, 1 mg, Doctor# 9328504.

--Approximately 90% of circulating finasteride is bound to plasma proteins. Finasteride has been found to cross the blood-brain barrier.---

--During a 4- to 6-year placebo- and comparator-controlled study that enrolled 3047 men, there were 4 cases of breast cancer in men treated with PROSCAR but no cases in men not treated with PROSCAR. In another 4-year, placebo-controlled study that enrolled 3040 men, there were 2 cases of breast cancer in placebo-treated men, but no cases were reported in men treated with PROSCAR.---

--In a 7-year placebo-controlled trial that enrolled 18,882 healthy men, 9060 had prostate needle biopsy data available for analysis. In the PROSCAR group, 280 (6.4%) men had prostate cancer with Gleason scores of 7-10 detected on needle biopsy vs. 237 (5.1%) men in the placebo group. Of the total cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in this study, approximately 98% were classified as intracapsular (stage T1 or T2). The clinical significance of these findings is unknown.---

Plus this article from the cnn site:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/conditio ... index.html


I don't know , but I've decided to use finasteride in the beginning but after deeply researching it, I decided to use only Tricomin & Nazoral.
I'm not bashing here, but its really hard to use a medicine for a life-time with those risks.

what do you think folks, can you convince me otherwise!!!

"prostate needle biopsy" :freaked2: check please!

BTW..Deaner, is that you in your avatar? j/k

 

[Petchsky]

Finally I think that everyone here should not take these news articles on health seriously, they are summaraised and make generalisations. If you want to know what's really going on find out who conducted the study and ask for a copy of the report.

Thank you for saying this!!! Please people, stop going to CNN, MSNBC for your science research and then coming here and posting this cr*p. The news channels/shows/whatever destroy *real* science ALL THE TIME to make things into headlines that will sell (aka scare/shock/awe).

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE start using PRIMARY SOURCE MATERIALS. Try pubmed, hell, even go to Merck for their PDF research papers.

Good call.

 

[sam-]

Meanwhile, the original poster hasn't even bothered to come back to read this thread. yet, we keep perpetuating this mis-information he started, and having to set people straight.

FYI: I'm daily reading it, but I have no comment.