Cancer risk
Bladder & kidney cancer
An MH, Kim MS, Kim C, et al. Association of 5α-reductase inhibitor prescription with bladder cancer progression in males in South Korea. JAMA Netw Open. 2023. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.13667 • PubMed
Dekalo S, McArthur E, Campbell J, Ordon M, Power N, Welk B. 5α-reductase inhibitors and the risk of bladder cancer in a large, population-based cohort. Urol Oncol. 2023. 10.1016/j.urolonc.2022.09.004 • PubMed
Del Giudice F, Belladelli F, Glover F, et al. 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5-ARi) with or without alpha-blockers (α-B) for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia do NOT lower the risk of incident Bladder Cancer: United States insurance claims data. World J Urol. 2023. doi:10.1007/s00345-023-04551-4 • PubMed
Doherty N, Cardwell CR, Murchie P, Hill C, Azoulay L, Hicks B. 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and risk of kidney and bladder cancers in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia: a population-based cohort study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2023 Jan 12. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-22-1109 • PubMed
Garg H, Wheeler KM, Dursun F, et al. Impact of finasteride on survival in bladder cancer: a retrospective multi-institutional database analysis. Clin Genitourin Cancer. 2022. 10.1016/j.clgc.2022.10.014 • PubMed
Seok J, Kwak HJ, Kwak Y, et al. Anti-oncogenic effects of dutasteride, a dual 5-alpha reductase inhibitor and a drug for benign prostate hyperplasia, in bladder cancer. J Transl Med. 2023. doi:10.1186/s12967-023-03972-4 • PubMed • PMC full text
Breast cancer
See also: Gynecomastia
Bird ST, Brophy JM, Hartzema AG, Delaney JA, Etminan M. Male breast cancer and 5α-reductase inhibitors finasteride and dutasteride. J Urol. 2013. doi:10.1016/j.juro.2013.04.132 • PubMed
Delfino M, Motola D, Mazzucchelli PP, Barotto M, Benini A, Campi A. Finastride e carcinoma mammario nell’uomo. Prima segnalazione di sospetta ADR in Italia [Finasteride and male breast cancer. First report of suspected ADR in Italy]. GIFAC. 2012. Italian. doi:10.1721/1109.12204
Duijnhoven RG, Straus SM, Souverein PC, et al. Long-term use of 5α-reductase inhibitors and the risk of male breast cancer. Cancer Causes Control. 2014. doi:10.1007/s10552-014-0455-6 • PubMed
Fang Q, Chen P, Du N, Nandakumar KS. Analysis of data from breast diseases treated with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Clin Breast Cancer. 2019. 10.1016/j.clbc.2019.04.006 • PubMed
Green L, Wysowski DK, Fourcroy JL. Gynecomastia and breast cancer during finasteride therapy. N Engl J Med. 1996. doi:10.1056/NEJM199609123351116 • PubMed
Hagberg KW, Divan HA, Fang SC, Nickel JC, Jick SS. Risk of gynecomastia and breast cancer associated with the use of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Clin Epidemiol. 2017. doi:10.2147/CLEP.S124674 • PubMed
Kjærulff TM, Ersbøll AK, Green A, et al. Finasteride use and risk of male breast cancer: a case-control study using individual-level registry data from Denmark, Finland, and Sweden. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2019. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-18-0904 • PubMed
Lee SC, Ellis RJ. Male breast cancer during finasteride therapy. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2004. doi:10.1093/jnci/djh062 • PubMed
[⚠️ Funded by Merck] Meijer M, Thygesen LC, Green A, et al. Finasteride treatment and male breast cancer: a register-based cohort study in four Nordic countries. Cancer Med. 2018. doi:10.1002/cam4.1273 • PubMed • PMC full text
Shenoy NK, Prabhakar SM. Finasteride and male breast cancer: Does the MHRA report show a link? J Cutan Aesthet Surg. 2010. doi:10.4103/0974-2077.69022 • Journal site • PubMed • PMC full text
Esophageal & gastric cancer
Rabbani S, Mattsson F, Lagergren J, Xie S. Use of 5α-reductase inhibitors and survival of oesophageal and gastric cancer in a nationwide Swedish cohort study. Acta Oncol. 2023. doi:10.1080/0284186X.2023.2214681 • PubMed
Rabbani S, Santoni G, Lagergren J, Xie SH. Use of anti-androgenic 5α-reductase inhibitors and risk of oesophageal and gastric cancer by histological type and anatomical sub-site. Br J Cancer. 2022. doi:10.1038/s41416-022-01872-w • PubMed
Prostate cancer
Anitha B, Inamadar AC, Ragunatha S. Finasteride-its impact on sexual function and prostate cancer. J Cutan Aesthet Surg. 2009. doi:10.4103/0974-2077.53093
Baboudjian M, Gondran-Tellier B, Dariane C, et al. Association between 5α-reductase inhibitors and prostate cancer mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Oncol. 2023. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.0260 • PubMed • PMCID: PMC10119773 (full text available 4/20/2024)
Björnebo L, Nordström T, Discacciati A, et al. Association of 5α-reductase inhibitors with prostate cancer mortality. JAMA Oncol. 2022. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.1501. Erratum in: JAMA Oncol. 2022 Jun 16. PubMed
Bonde Miranda T, Garmo H, Stattin P, Robinson D. 5α-reductase inhibitors and risk of prostate cancer death. J Urol. 2020. doi:10.1097/JU.0000000000001038 • PubMed
Falagario UG, Lantz A, Jambor I, et al; PROMOD Study Group. Diagnosis of prostate cancer with magnetic resonance imaging in men treated with 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors. World J Urol. 2023. doi:10.1007/s00345-023-04634-2 • PubMed
Lynn R, Krunic A. Therapeutic hotline. Treatment of androgenic alopecia with finasteride may result in a high grade prostate cancer in patients: fact or fiction?. Dermatol Ther. 2010. doi:10.1111/j.1529-8019.2010.01358.x • PubMed
Pitts WR Jr. Finasteride (Propecia) and the promotion of high-grade prostate cancer. Arch Dermatol. 2004. doi:10.1001/archderm.140.7.885-b • PubMed
Sarkar RR, Parsons JK, Bryant AK, et al. Association of treatment with 5α-reductase inhibitors with time to diagnosis and mortality in prostate cancer. JAMA Intern Med. 2019. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.0280 • PubMed • PMC full text
Thompson IM, Goodman PJ, Tangen CM, et al. The influence of finasteride on the development of prostate cancer. N Engl J Med. 2003. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa030660 • PubMed
Traish AM, Mulgaonkar A, Giordano N. The dark side of 5α-reductase inhibitors’ therapy: sexual dysfunction, high Gleason grade prostate cancer and depression. Korean J Urol. 2014. doi:10.4111/kju.2014.55.6.367 • PubMed
Wang L, Lei Y, Gao Y, et al. Association of finasteride with prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2020. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000019486 • PubMed • PMC full text
Testicular cancer
Berthold D, Lhermitte B, Uffer M, Doerfler A. Finasteride-related Leydig cell tumour: report of a case and literature review. Andrologia. 2012. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0272.2011.01214.x • PubMed