Does benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment with alpha-blockers affect prostate cancer risk?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To determine whether alpha-blockers, commonly used for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, are associated with prostate cancer risk. RECENT FINDINGS: Alpha-blockers have been associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer aggressiveness in some observational studies and an increased risk in other studies. However, this relationship is complex as different alpha-blockers have divergent effects in laboratory studies and there are many confounders in daily practice such as differential screening practices. SUMMARY: Both benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer are common conditions in the aging male population, such that an interaction between alpha-blockers and prostate cancer risk is clinically relevant. Prospective evidence is necessary to establish a definitive link.