Robert Svatek, M.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Urology, has a special interest in identifying and testing novel treatments for patients with bladder cancer and improving their quality of life.
Printer Friendly Format

Contact: Elizabeth Allen, 210-450-2020

SAN ANTONIO (March 23, 2011) &151; A recent paper published in Cancer Prevention Research notes that while dutasteride can reduce the relative risk of prostate cancer, it is not a cost-effective form of chemoprevention in men who have a low risk of developing prostate cancer.

Robert Svatek, M.D., a urologic oncologist at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and principal investigator on the study, said that the costs of taking the drug for many years may outweigh the benefits for the average man.

“Because prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, our findings are important for the millions of men who might be eligible for drugs that prevent prostate cancer,” Dr. Svatek said. “Instituting a widespread chemoprevention strategy requires an understanding of the societal impact in terms of cost, survival and quality of life.

“Although a drug may demonstrate a reduction in prostate cancer incidence, it may be too expensive or render significant side effects that limit its widespread adoption,” he said. “Because dutasteride typically is often prescribed for an indefinite period, the cumulative cost is particularly important.”

Reduces risk of prostate cancer by 22.8 percent
Dutasteride is commonly prescribed for enlarged prostates, and research has shown that it reduces the relative risk of prostate cancer over a four-year period by 22.8 percent, but questions have remained about its cost-effectiveness.

Cost outweighs prevention projected over a lifetime
Using a Markov probability model, Dr. Svatek and Yair Lotan, M.D., of The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, compared the lifetime cost of taking dutasteride to using no therapy.

“Our study found that for the average man, the drug offers a minimal survival benefit at a substantial cost,” Dr. Svatek said. “However, it may be cost-effective to target high-risk patients especially once the cost of the drug decreases.”

###
The Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is one of the elite academic cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Designated Cancer Center, and is one of only four in Texas. A leader in developing new drugs to treat cancer, the CTRC Institute for Drug Development (IDD) conducts one of the largest oncology Phase I clinical drug programs in the world, and participates in development of cancer drugs approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. For more information, visit www.ctrc.net.