Male pattern baldness and the risk of prostate cancer

Abstract

This study shows an association between early-onset androgenic alopecia and the development of prostate cancer. Whether this population can benefit from routine prostate cancer screening or systematic use of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors as primary prevention remains to be determined.

Age-Dependent Associations between Androgenetic Alopecia and Prostate Cancer Risk

“…A number of studies have found no association between androgenetic alopecia and prostate cancer (9)(10)(11)15) or suggestive evidence of an increased risk of prostate cancer (12), others have found androgenetic alopecia to be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer (13,14,18), whereas 2 recent studies have found androgenetic alopecia to be associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer (16,17). While differences in sample size, study design, and exposure assessment might plausibly explain much of the inconsistency between studies, the direction of estimated associations has differed even among those studies that assessed androgenetic alopecia at specific reference ages using an adapted Hamilton-Norwood scale (16)(17)(18). One such case-control study found a 2-fold higher relative odds of prostate cancer in men with any androgenetic alopecia at age 20 years (18).…”

“…While differences in sample size, study design, and exposure assessment might plausibly explain much of the inconsistency between studies, the direction of estimated associations has differed even among those studies that assessed androgenetic alopecia at specific reference ages using an adapted Hamilton-Norwood scale (16)(17)(18). One such case-control study found a 2-fold higher relative odds of prostate cancer in men with any androgenetic alopecia at age 20 years (18). Another case-control study, which assessed androgenetic alopecia at age 30 years, found a 29% reduction in the odds of prostate cancer for men with any androgenetic alopecia, and a stronger reduction in when considering only men older than 60 years at interview (17).…”

“…Several studies have investigated whether there exists any association between androgenetic alopecia and risk of prostate cancer (9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18). While some studies suggest that androgenetic alopecia, especially when it occurs in younger men, might be a marker of increased risk of prostate cancer later in life (12,13,18), others have found that androgenetic alopecia is in fact associated with lower risk of prostate cancer (16,17).…”

“…While some studies suggest that androgenetic alopecia, especially when it occurs in younger men, might be a marker of increased risk of prostate cancer later in life (12,13,18), others have found that androgenetic alopecia is in fact associated with lower risk of prostate cancer (16,17). We aimed to assess whether retrospectively assessed androgenetic alopecia at ages 40 and 20 years are associated with risk of prostate cancer using a subset of men participating in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (MCCS).…”

The association of male pattern baldness and risk of cancer and high-grade disease among men presenting for prostate biopsy

“…13 Some studies suggested a relationship between PCa and baldness in a positive 13 or inverse 14 relationship, although some suggested no relation at all. 15 Aging and androgens are known risk factors for both PCa and MPB, with androgens implicated in the development of both conditions.…”