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Can prostate cancer be prevented?

Nature Clinical Practice Urology volume 2, pages 24–31 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

The goal of primary chemoprevention is to decrease the incidence of a given cancer, simultaneously reducing both treatment-related adverse events and mortality. Prostate cancer is an attractive and appropriate target for primary prevention because of its incidence, prevalence, and disease-related mortality; its long latency and molecular pathogenesis; and epidemiologic data indicating that modifiable environmental factors may decrease risk. The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) demonstrated that finasteride can prevent prostate cancer, albeit with an apparently increased risk of high-grade disease. A substantial amount of epidemiologic, molecular, and clinical evidence suggests that both selenium and vitamin E might also prevent prostate cancer, and this combination is being tested in the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT). Ultimately, the adoption of a preventive strategy hinges on its potential benefits weighed against the potential risks of the specific agents used.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Head of the Section of Urologic Oncology, Glickman Urological Institute, and Professor of Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Eric A Klein

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Correspondence to Eric A Klein.

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Klein, E. Can prostate cancer be prevented?. Nat Rev Urol 2, 24–31 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpuro0072

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