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Baldness Drug Affects Prostate Cancer Test
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A commonly used hair growth drug may also lower a blood marker that is used to detect prostate cancer in its earliest stages. In a report published in The Lancet Oncology, researchers say that men using the anti-baldness drug, Propecia, should alert their doctors so that adjustments can be made in lab interpretations.
Propecia is a drug used to treat male pattern baldness, which affects most men in their lifetime. The higher-dose version of the same drug, called Proscar, is used to treat prostate enlargement in men. It is well known that Proscar lowers prostate antigen – or PSA – levels. PSA testing is used to measure the amount of prostate specific antigen in the blood, and is a screening tool used to detect prostate cancer. It wasn’t known, however, whether Propecia would have the same effect on PSA levels.
Over 350 men aged 40-60 with male pattern baldness were given either Propecia or placebo. Within 48 weeks the men receiving the Propecia had a 40-50% decrease in PSA levels while the placebo group only experienced up to a 13% decrease.
Researchers say that until longer-term results can be reached, PSA testing adjustments should be made for both drugs. It is recommended that the PSA level obtained in those taking either Propecia or Proscar be doubled to reflect this result.
The results have important implications for men using Propecia for hair loss. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, and PSA screening can detect the disease in its early stages. The accuracy of the test results will likely have an effect on the success of early interventions to treat this common form of cancer.
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