Relation of family history of prostate cancer to perceived vulnerability and screening behavior.

Men with a positive family history of prostate cancer are known to be at increased risk for the disease; however, relatively little is known about their risk perceptions or screening behavior. To address these issues, the current study examined the relationship of family history of prostate cancer to perceived vulnerability of developing prostate cancer and prostate cancer screening practices. Participants were 83 men with a positive family history of prostate cancer and 83 men with a negative family history of prostate cancer. As predicted, men with a positive family history reported greater (p< or =0.05) perceived vulnerability of developing prostate cancer and stronger intentions to undergo screening (p< or =0.05). They also reported greater past performance of prostate-specific antigen screening and were more likely to request information about prostate cancer (p< or =0.05). Additional analyses indicated that perceived vulnerability mediated the relation between family history and intentions to undergo prostate cancer screening. Findings confirm the increased likelihood of men with a positive family history to undergo prostate cancer screening and suggest that heightened concerns about developing the disease are an important motivating factor.

Long-term 6-year experience with finasteride in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

OBJECTIVES: To summarize the 6-year clinical trial data with finasteride. Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a chronic and progressive disease and therefore assessment of long-term safety and efficacy is important. METHODS: The North American and International Phase III Finasteride trials enrolled symptomatic men with enlarged prostate glands. The initial 1-year placebo-controlled study was followed by a 5-year open-label extension. In total, 6-year finasteride data were available in 487 patients originally randomized to finasteride, and 5-year data were available on 238 patients originally randomized to placebo. RESULTS: After 6 years of treatment with finasteride 5 mg, the mean quasi-American Urological Association Symptom Score improved by 4.0 points, the median prostate volume decreased by 24%, and the mean maximal urinary flow rate increased by 2.9 mL/s (P <0.001 for all parameters). Long-term finasteride treatment was well tolerated, with a low incidence of drug-related sexual adverse events occurring during the first year and even fewer occurrences during the 5-year open extension. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with finasteride leads to durable improvement in urinary tract symptoms, flow rate, and prostate volume, with no increase in the prevalence of drug-related adverse events over time.