Year: 2005
Type: article
Abstract: Different age-weighting scenarios for normal survival will lead to different estimates of the positive impact of finasteride on population mortality. In our study, we weighted using the U.S. census age distribution to avoid assumptions regarding the impact of finasteride on the age distribution of the cohort of prevented cases.1 As Zeliadt et al. note in their letter, there are differences between the U.S. census age distribution and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) age distribution (although less so for older patients). Related to this issue, we had previously conducted a parallel analysis using normal survival age weighted by the SEER case cohort age distribution rather than by the U.S. census age distribution. The resulting estimates were 83% of the 10-year published estimate, adjusted for grade–a finding that was somewhat smaller in magnitude but still highly positive with regard to finasteride. (This change is modest in part because the majority of the difference in the age distributions is among individuals ages 55–70 years, whereas the 10-year survival is generally good.) In addition, we used National Center for Health Statistics life table data to estimate normal survival, which differs from the proposal of Zeliadt et al. We expect the choice of reference databases will be an important component of the variation in the estimates of the projected impact of finasteride. Another recently published article, which used an entirely different estimation method as well as different databases from which to derive estimates of population survival, also concluded that the benefits of finasteride would outweigh the potential risks.2 Therefore, the results of our published study appear to hold up under different age-adjusted weighting schemes and the same conclusion was drawn in an independent analysis. Joseph M. Unger M.S.*, Michael LeBlanc Ph.D.*, Ian M. Thompson Jr. M.D. , Charles A. Coltman Jr. M.D. , * Southwest Oncology Group, Statistical Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, University of Texas, Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, Southwest Oncology Group, Operations Office, San Antonio, Texas
Source: Cancer
DOI: 10.1002/cncr.21345
Language: English
Subfield: Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4254017008