Findings from University of Tampere Reveals New Findings on Prostate Cancer (Allopurinol and Prostate Cancer Survival In a Finnish Population-based Cohort).

A study conducted by the University of Tampere in Finland examined the association between allopurinol use and prostate cancer survival. Allopurinol is a medication used to treat gout by inhibiting uric acid formation. Previous studies suggested that long-term use of allopurinol may reduce the incidence of prostate cancer, but the Finnish study did not support these findings. The study analyzed data from a Finnish population-based cohort of 9,252 men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1996 and 2015. The results showed that there was no difference in prostate cancer-specific survival (CSS) between allopurinol users and non-users, but allopurinol users had lower overall survival (OS). However, the decrease in OS was mitigated with increasing intensity of allopurinol use. The researchers concluded that allopurinol use may not have anticancer effects against prostate cancer, but instead may be a surrogate for metabolic problems causing shorter overall survival among men with prostate cancer. [Extracted from the article]