Do α‑reductase inhibitors prevent prostate cancer? 2008 Practice Guideline from the American Society of Clinical Oncology and American Urological Association

As new guidelines on the use of 5‑α‑reductase inhibitors (5‑ARIs) for prostate cancer chemoprevention produced by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and American Urological Association (AUA) have recently been published, the use of 5‑ARIs is becoming of increasing interest. We analyzed the current evidence to support the use of 5‑ARIs in the prevention of prostate cancer. We therefore compared the new guidelines of the ASCO and AUA with the current data concerning the use of 5‑ARIs in the prevention of prostate cancer. At present, there is still an open debate going on whether or not it is advisable to incorporate the use of 5‑ARIs as chemopreventive agents in daily practice.