Hormonal manipulation of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: We provide new viewpoints of hormonal control of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The latest treatment findings with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) finasteride and dutasteride, refined indications, efficacy, and safety are discussed and compared. We also discuss potential new 5-ARIs and other hormonal treatments. RECENT FINDINGS: Finasteride and dutasteride have equal efficacy and safety for the treatment and prevention of progression of BPH. 5-ARIs are especially recommended for prostates greater than 40 ml and PSA greater than 1.5 ng/ml. Combination therapy is the treatment of choice in these patients, but with prostate volume greater than 58 ml or International Prostate Symptom Score of at least 20, combinations have no advantage over 5-ARI monotherapy. Updates on the recent developments on BPH therapy with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) antagonist are also reviewed and analyzed. Preclinical studies suggest that growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) antagonists effectively shrink experimentally enlarged prostates alone or in combination with LHRH antagonists. SUMMARY: New 5-ARIs seem to be the promising agents that need further study. Preclinical studies revealed that GHRH and LHRH antagonists both can cause a reduction in prostate volume. Recent data indicate that prostate shrinkage is induced by the direct inhibitory action of GHRH and of LHRH antagonists exerted through prostatic receptors. The adverse effects of 5ARIs encourage alternative therapy.

Evaluation of grade and stage in patients with bladder cancer among smokers and non-smokers.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the role of smoking as a risk factor for higher stages and grades of bladder cancer, for although smoking is considered to be one of the most important risk factors for bladder cancer, its relationship to grade and stage is not clear. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In all, 300 patients diagnosed with bladder cancer were studied to compare the grade and stage and bladder cancer between non-smokers, low-dose, moderate-dose and high-dose smokers. RESULTS: The smokers and non-smokers had no significant difference in tumour grade or stage (P = 0.702 for grade and 0.166 for stage) but the high-dose group had significantly higher grades and stages than the other groups (P = 0.026, odds ratio 4.8, 95% confidence interval 1.2-19.1 for grade, and 0.037, 10.91 and 1.16-102.6, respectively, for stage). CONCLUSION: Smoking has a potential dose-dependent effect on the grade and stage of bladder cancer, with high-dose smokers having more aggressive disease. The equality in the aggressiveness of the cancer between smokers in general and non-smokers might be a result of the hazardous effect of passive smoking in countries where smoking is a common habit.