Pharmacologic agents in complementary medicine in prostatic disease.

The use of alternative medicine has increased considerably in the last 10 years. Some of the reasons for this trend include limited efficacy of existing treatments, perceived reduction in side effects with alternative treatments, patient's desire to maintain control over their treatment and a desire for a more "natural" treatment. The very high frequency of urologic diseases such as benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer makes these diseases natural targets of alternative medicine. Although a great number of therapeutic agents have been recommended for urologic diseases, this review examines the most promising for their use in benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer. (c) 2001 Prous Science. All rights reserved.