Dutasteride may reduce the risk of prostate cancer
In research reported Wednesday, the drug dutasteride, currently used to shrink enlarged prostates, was found to reduce the risk of prostate cancer by about a quarter in high-risk men. Men at an above-normal risk of prostate cancer may be able to reduce their risk of developing the disease by taking a drug already on the market.
The medication, sold under the brand name Avodart, apparently caused small tumors to stop growing or even to shrink, researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Howard M. Sandler, an oncologist at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, was even more emphatic: "The question might be, why isn’t every man taking one of these drugs? They help people urinate better by shrinking the prostate, they probably reduce baldness, and they reduce the risk of prostate cancer. There seems to be very little downside to them."
A previous study found that a similar drug, finasteride, could also lower the risk of prostate tumors, but the new research — conducted at 250 sites in 42 countries — suggests that dutasteride is slightly more effective. Both dutasteride and finasteride, sold by Merck & Co. Inc. under the brand name Proscar, are already approved for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, an enlargement of the prostate gland that causes urinary and other problems.
GlaxoSmithKline, which manufactures Avodart, said on Monday that it would apply to the Food and Drug Administration for permission to market the drug for risk reduction in men with high PSA levels — a measure of prostate cancer risk — a family history of the disease or other risk factors, such as ethnicity. But because the drug is already available, doctors don’t need to wait for such permission to prescribe it as a preventive. Considering its low risk, that might be a safe option, experts said. Insurance companies are not likely to pay for it for that purpose, though, until the FDA approves it.
read full story:http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-prostate1-2010apr01,0,2741240.story?track=rss

One of the best ways to glow from within is to eat well. Good health is the secret ingredient of a glowing skin. By becoming healthy and staying fit all the time, people would eventually notice that their skin looks better. Here’s her list of the best foods for your skin: Green tea: Green tea is rich in antioxidants that reduce inflammation aOne of the best ways to glow from within is to eat well.
