In this study, high doses of saw palmetto as studied in the Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Urologic Symptoms (CAMPUS) trial were evaluated to see if they affect serum prostate specific antigen levels. The CAMPUS trial was a randomized, placebo controlled, double-blind, multicenter, North American trial conducted between 2008 and 2012, in which 369 men older than 45 years with an AUA symptom score of 8 to 24 were randomly assigned to placebo or dose escalation of saw palmetto. It consisted of 320mg for the first 24 weeks, 640mg for the next 24 weeks, and 960mg for the last 24 weeks of this 72-week trial. Serum prostate specific antigen levels were obtained at baseline and at weeks 24, 48, and 72 and were compared between treatment groups. The results showed that serum prostate specific antigen was similar at baseline for the placebo and saw palmetto groups. Changes in prostate specific antigen were similar in both groups. No differential effect on serum prostate specific antigen was observed between treatment arms when the groups were stratified by baseline prostate specific antigen. The authors conclude that saw palmetto extract does not affect serum prostate specific antigen more than placebo, even at high doses. J Urol. 2013. PMID: 23253958.
