More bad news for men who suffered early hair loss before the age of 20 - a new study finds that these mens' prostate cancer risk is twice that in their later years than those who don't lose their hair at an early age. The prostate is a walnut size gland close to the bladder that plays a crucial role in a man's reproductive system.
Prostate cancer happens most often among men in their 60s, and is the most common non-skin cancer in men the world over. In the U.S., this form of cancer is second only to lung tumors as a cause of death; an estimated 217,730 new cases were diagnosed last year.
Earlier work found that sex hormones known as androgens play a part in both conditions, hair loss early in life (called pattern baldness) and cancer of the prostate. The link between these two is murky. One study found that early hair loss was linked to a lower chance of prostate cancer so the picture is far from clear.
To get at the truth, a research team interviewed 669 men, 338 who had a diagnosis of prostate cancer, about the state of their hair when they were 20, 30 and 40 years old.
The subjects used standardized images as points of reference. Those who didn't start losing hair until around 30 or 40 were seen to have no greater risk compared to the prostate cancer free controls.
The men who lost their hair around age 20, a condition called androgenetic alopecia, had double the prostate cancer risk.
If this is you, experts say not to panic, just because you are losing your hair, it does not mean you'll automatically develop cancer of the prostate. These results are preliminary and still need to be confirmed by future studies.
Thing is, 50% of men end up losing their hair, however of the group that go either partially or completely bald, just 10-15% actually have androgenic alopecia. This condition affects both men and women, but is far more common in men.
Early balding might prove to be a useful marker, giving men a valuable heads up on a potential health danger. Prostate cancer screening methods in use today are controversial, because screening is begun at 50 years old, without thinking about other criteria, might cause overtreatment. What's more, the 20-year-old PSA antigen test cannot tell low risk from more aggressive cancers. Doctors now know that antigen levels can fluctuate from man to man, and might be skewed by inflammation of the prostate gland. A biopsy is the only test that can confirm a diagnosis.
Another study on prostate cancer risk, published last year, found that finger patterns might prove beneficial in choosing men who should be regularly screened. If your index finger is longer than the ring finger, you may have a much lower risk of prostate cancer.
If you're worried about the prostate cancer risk of a man in your life who suffered early hair loss, stay informed. Consider adopting a low fat eating plan (think traditional Japanese diet) that includes foods high in omega-3 fatty acids as a way to lower his risk.
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