On December 1, 2010, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel is expected to decide whether to approve two drugs for the prevention of prostate cancer. Two of the drugs, Avodart and Proscar, which are manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, are already approved for the treatment of enlarged prostates. GlaxoSmithKline states that the drugs also have the ability to lower the risk of prostate cancer by 20%.

Although the potential for a decreased risk of prostate cancer is appealing, the FDA has many vital concerns about the efficacy of the two drugs, following a manufacturer-sponsored clinical trial. Black men, who are at the highest risk for the disease, were greatly underrepresented, according to Business Week. "The applicability to African-American men is not known due to marked under-representation," the FDA's online review stated. In addition, according to the FDA, the drugs primarily prevents against tumors grow slowly. If approved, Avodart and Proscar will be the first drugs on the market for the prevention of prostate cancer.