New ASCO/AUA guideline recommends men and their doctors discuss using 5-ARIs to reduce prostate c...(kelihood of getting prostate cancer .....),Health

The ASCO/AUA recommendations on chemoprevention for prostate cancer are based on evidence gathered from clinical trials, including the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT), in which participating men took a 5-ARI for one to seven years. Trial data showed an overall relative risk reduction of approximately 25 percent in most men who took a 5-ARI to prevent prostate cancer.

"Although a large clinical trial has shown that 5-ARIs can decrease the incidence of prostate cancer, we are still not able to determine if the mortality from prostate cancer is reduced," said Paul F. Schellhammer, MD, a past president of the AUA and co-chair of the panel that developed the guideline. "However, the demonstrated effect of 5-ARIs in reducing prostate cancer incidence makes it reasonable to recommend them for use to prevent the disease. But, as with any drug, patients should discuss the risks and benefits with their physicians."

In conjunction with this guideline, ASCO developed a Decision Aid Tool, which uses straightforward charts and diagrams to explain the risks and benefits of 5-ARIs to patients and their families. One section, called "Thinking It Over," encourages patients to discuss potential treatment decisions with their doctors and their family and determine what risks and benefits matter most to them.

The guideline will be published in the March issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology and the March issue of The Journal of Urology. Along with the new guideline and the Decision Aid Tool, ASCO has released a corresponding patient guide available on ASCO's patient Web site, www.cancer.net.

'/>"/>