Mixed Results of Prostate Drug Test

By Nancy Steinbach
Broadcast: July 9, 2003
This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Health Report.
An American study has shown mixed results in testing the effects of a drug as a way to prevent cancer of the 1)prostate 2)gland¹ in men. The drug is called 3)finasteride. Finasteride is now used to reduce 4)swollen² prostate glands³. It is also used in different amounts to prevent some hair loss.
Researchers at the National Cancer Institute reported the results of the study in the New England Journal⁴ of Medicine. The nationwide study began in nineteen-ninety-three. Researchers gave either five milligrams of finasteride or an inactive substance to more than eighteen-thousand healthy men over the age of fifty-five.
Seven years later, almost nine-thousand men were still involved in the study. A little less than half of them were taking finasteride. The others were still taking the inactive substance for comparison⁵.
The researchers found prostate cancer in eighteen percent of the men who took finasteride. This compared to twenty-four percent of the men in the other group. So, the chances of getting prostate cancer were found to be twenty-five percent lower in the finasteride group than for those who took the inactive substance.
Researchers ended the study early because it had already shown the effects of the drug. They said these results show it is possible to prevent prostate cancer.
But another finding⁶ of the study showed a possible danger. This finding involved just those men in the study who developed prostate cancer. About six percent of the men who took finasteride developed what appeared to be unusually aggressive cancers. In the comparison group, five percent of the men developed such growths.
The researchers said this difference was seen within the first year of the study. They do not know the reason. One possibility is that the drug may prevent only those cancers that grow more slowly than usual. The researchers said more studies must be done to find out.
Medical experts urged men to talk to their doctors about these results before they decide if they should take finasteride to prevent prostate cancer. Some said it may be that only men with especially high chances of getting the disease⁷ should use the drug for this purpose. Doctors say those at higher risk include black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer.
This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Nancy Steinbach. This is Steve Ember.

注释：
1) prostate [5prCsteit] adj.前列腺的
2) gland [^lAnd] n.[解剖]腺
3) finasteride [finE5sterid] n.(药)非那雄胺
4) swollen [5swEulEn] adj.肿胀的

1 gland   

n.腺体，(机)密封压盖，填料盖

参考例句：

• This is a snake's poison gland.这就是蛇的毒腺。
• Her mother has an underactive adrenal gland.她的母亲肾上腺机能不全。

2 swollen   

adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀

参考例句：

• Her legs had got swollen from standing up all day.因为整天站着，她的双腿已经肿了。
• A mosquito had bitten her and her arm had swollen up.蚊子叮了她，她的手臂肿起来了。

3 glands   

n.腺( gland的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a snake's poison glands 蛇的毒腺
• the sebaceous glands in the skin 皮脂腺

4 journal   

n.日志，日记；议事录；日记帐；杂志，定期刊物

参考例句：

• He kept a journal during his visit to Japan.他在访问日本期间坚持记日记。
• He got a job as editor of a trade journal.他找到了一份当商业杂志编辑的工作。

5 comparison   

n.比较，对照；比拟，比喻

参考例句：

• They make a comparison of New York to a beehive.他们把纽约比作一个蜂巢。
• This dress is really cheaper by comparison.比较起来，这件衣服确实便宜。

6 finding   

n.发现，发现物；调查的结果

参考例句：

• The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
• That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。

7 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。