Abstract

Finasteride (Proscar - MSD), a type II 5α-reductase inhibitor, was introduced in 1992 for the medical treatment of men with benign prostatic hyperplasia. The manufacturer claims that finasteride can "halt the progress of the disease and reverse the disease process" and that "one year of therapy with finasteride reversed more than 15 years' growth in prostate volume". We examine the clinical effectiveness of finasteride and assess these claims.