Private MD News

Common medications may increase prostate cancer risk, FDA warns

Category: Prostate

The Food and Drug Administration is warning men who take finasteride and dutasteride, two medications used to treat enlarged prostates, that they may be at an increased risk of receiving a positive PSA test for prostate cancer.

After two separate studies found a modest increase in prostate cancer risk among those taking these two medications, the FDA decided to warn physicians and their patients about the potential dangers.

The agency said that there are as many as 5 million men currently taking these medications to reduce the size of their prostate, a condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia. While the overall risk of developing prostate cancer from these medications is relatively low, men who did were more likely to develop high-grade tumors that are more deadly.

The FDA has not pulled the drugs from the market because the overall risk is so low. However, they are warning medical professionals and individuals who take these medications to be mindful of the increased risk, particularly if they have other preexisting conditions that may make them more prone to developing prostate cancer.