Long-term study finds finasteride safe

A long-term follow-up to a major study of finasteride, from Merck, confirms that the drug has no impact on lifespan but further reduces the risk of Prostate Cancer. Finasteride is a generic drug developed and currently used by physicians to treat enlarged prostate and male pattern baldness. While it significantly reduces the risk of Prostate Cancer, during the trial of 19,000 men a slightly higher percentage of those on finasteride developed high-grade cancer than those taking a placebo.

Now an 18-year follow-up to the study has examined survival to see if there was an increased risk of death in men who took finasteride. The results show no impact on either overall survival or survival after Prostate Cancer diagnosis. Results are published in the NEJM: "Long-Term Survival of Participants in the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial." Ian M. Thompson et al. N Engl J Med 2013; 369: 603-610 August 15, 2013 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1215932