Dutasteride During Active Surveillance of Low-Risk Prostate Cancer

Results of a prior randomized, controlled trial demonstrated that the 5α-reductase inhibitor dutasteride, which is approved for the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia, reduced the risk for biopsy-detected prostate cancer in men at increased risk for developing the disease (N Engl J Med 2010; 362:1192).

Now, investigators have conducted an industry-sponsored, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to test the safety and efficacy of dutasteride in preventing progression of prostate cancer in men with low-risk disease who opted to be followed with active surveillance. The study involved 320 men (age range, 48–82) with low-risk (T1c–T2a) prostate cancer, a Gleason score of ≤6 (no Gleason pattern score …