Does benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment with alpha-blockers affect prostate cancer risk?

To determine whether alpha-blockers, commonly used for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, are associated with prostate cancer risk. Alpha-blockers have been associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer aggressiveness in some observational studies and an increased risk in other studies. However, this relationship is complex as different alpha-blockers have divergent effects in laboratory studies and there are many confounders in daily practice such as differential screening practices. Both benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer are common conditions in the aging male population, such that an interaction between alpha-blockers and prostate cancer risk is clinically relevant. Prospective evidence is necessary to establish a definitive link.

Citation

Stacy Loeb, Angela Gupta, Lia Losonczy, Jeffrey Tosoian, Patrick C Walsh. Does benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment with alpha-blockers affect prostate cancer risk? Current opinion in urology. 2013 Jan;23(1):2-4

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PMID: 23159990

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