5-ARI use is tied to lower laryngeal cancer risk in men

In a cohort study of Swedish men, researchers investigated whether 5α-reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) were associated with a lower risk of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. 5-ARIs inhibit the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. The study analyzed 253,010 men who received at least two 5-ARI dispensations within two years and 1,265,050 age- and date-matched nonusers, with a median participant age of 74 years. Over a median follow-up of 5.8 years for users and 4.7 years for nonusers, 215 users (0.1%) and 1,131 nonusers (0.1%) developed these cancers. After adjusting for tobacco smoking, alcohol overconsumption, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes, 5-ARI use was associated with a 17% lower cancer risk (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.72-0.96).