title: Prostate cancer prevention trials in the USA.
abstract: There is dramatic international variation in prostate cancer mortality rates. The variation suggests that the disease has an environmental cause and encourages the search for a way to prevent it. Androgenic stimulation over a period of time, perhaps due to a high fat diet, has been suggested as a cause of prostate cancer. The corollary to this hypothesis is that lowering androgenic stimulation over time will prevent prostate cancer. 5-Alpha-reductase inhibition through drugs like finasteride have been shown to decrease androgenic stimulation of the prostate. A clinical trial is underway using finasteride to assess this hypothesis. Epidemiological and laboratory studies also suggest that those with high selenium and vitamin E intake have a lower risk of prostate cancer. Recent serendipitous findings of two randomised clinical trials support this. A study to assess these compounds is currently being designed. Other promising but less developed interventions in the chemoprevention of prostate cancer include vitamin D supplementation and diet modification.
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, 6120 Executive Boulevard, EPS 320, Bethesda, MD 20852, USA. ob6g@nih.gov
authors.forename: O W
authors.initials: OW
authors.lastname: Brawley
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Parnes
mesh_terms: D058891:5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018120:Finasteride / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011817:Rabbits; D012307:Risk Factors; D012643:Selenium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D058891:5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D014810:Vitamin E; D018120:Finasteride; D012643:Selenium