Two studies published in the March 1 issue of Cancer that address the balance of benefits vs. risk of prostate cancer medications have thrown up a distinct possibility of adversely effecting mental abilities of the patients & occurrence of high grade tumors in patients taking finasteride.
A small Finnish study conducted at the Turku University Hospital reported tests on 23 men who were given flutamide and leuprolid. These drugs inhibit production of testosterone and other male hormones known to promote prostate cancer growth.
A follow-up after six months indicated that there was a considerable decline in the patients' visual memory, and also in recognizing and remembering numbers. Significantly the greatest change occurred in men with the largest declines in estradiol levels.
Susan F. Slovin, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York said that these findings should be approached with caution due to the small number of patients in the trial. All of these studies have been very limited as to the number of patients involved," she said. "In general, most of us would agree that it [hormonal therapy] is a very safe treatment." Slovin was concerned that "a small paper such as this can prevent patients from going on medications that are good for them. The benefits far outweigh the risks,"
The second study however, had no such problems as it was carried out on more than 18,000 healthy men. The landmark Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial tested the effectiveness of finasteride with the control group receiving a placebo.
Researchers found a 25 percent reduction in the incidence of prostate cancer in the men taking finasteride. But the overall risk of developing high-grade tumors doubled in patients taking researchers found a nearly 25 percent reduction in the incidence of prostate cancer in the men taking finasteride.
According to Slovin, the finasteride trial has produced "mixed emotions. People are concerned about anything that may influence outcome of the disease," she said, while adding that "patients have to discuss this with physicians, and physicians have to be very upfront about it."
