An Article today in the Washington Post suggests that men taking Finasteride (AKA Proscar, Propecia) have a 25% lower incidence of prostate cancer. But reading further, we find that this is a reevaluation of a study completed in 2003 that concluded taking the drug might lead to more lethal forms of cancer. And down toward the end there's the following paragraph:
"About 71 men would have to take finasteride for seven years to prevent one case of prostate cancer. Kramer said a quick call to his Bethesda pharmacy showed that generic finasteride costs about $3 a day or around $1,080 a year, meaning that it could cost about half a million dollars to head off each case of prostate cancer -- while exposing dozens of men to unnecessary treatment and potential side effects, including incontinence and impotence. A small number of men taking finasteride also experience sexual side effects, such as a decrease in libido."
Interesting, eh? What's next? I expect whenever Congress puts a Socialized Medicine plan into effect, there'll be a lot more of the calculations such as are in the paragraph above, being made by some faceless and unaccountable bureaucracy on our behalf.
As for me, I leave for Florida on Thursday, for my one-year checkup after Proton Thereapy. Will let y'all know how that goes.
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