Does prostate drug cause aggressive cancer?

In another "too little" move, the FDA alerted doctors that drugs they're prescribing to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) may increase the risk of highly aggressive prostate cancer.

Here's the twist: The drug companies were running a trial to prove that these drugs, called 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (such as dutasteride and finasteride, which are also prescribed under brand names), could prevent prostate cancer. But it turns out that both of those drugs seemed to cause more cases of highly aggressive prostate cancer than placebo. So the FDA decided to make them change the labels on the drugs.

Of course the drug companies are trying to spin this in a more positive way, claiming that it's possible the drugs just made the cancer easier to diagnose.

Let's hope that the FDA doesn't fall for that and actually approve these apparently dangerous drugs for prostate cancer prevention.

And don't wait to find out what else these drugs can do to you. Talk to your doctor now about a safer way to manage your BPH.

--Michele