Long-term survival of participants in the prostate cancer prevention trial

The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) is a seminal study in the field of urology. More than 10 years after its initial publication, updated data from this trial continue to shape our understanding of prostate cancer. Among the major findings from the PCPT has been the demonstration that prostate cancer is common in men with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) once thought to be in the normal range,1 finasteride prevents the development of benign prostatic hypertrophy,2 it increases the sensitivity of PSA3 and digital rectal examination.4 Furthermore the PCPT helped to establish the link between erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease,5 and perhaps most importantly finasteride demonstrated a 25% relative risk reduction in the diagnosis of prostate cancer compared with placebo.6