Early hairloss doubles risk of prostate cancer

A new study has found that men who begin to lose their hair by age 20 are twice as likely to develop prostate cancer later in life, according to a new study.The findings, published this week could help identify and allow men with the syndrome known as pattern baldness to be screened early and more often for disease, the researchers said. Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer among men worldwide and after lung tumours, has been found to be the second biggest cause of death from cancer among men living in the United States and Europe. The majority of cases occur among men aged in their sixties. Previously research had found that sex hormones called androgens play a major role in the development of both cancer of the prostate (a small gland located near the bladder crucial to the male reproductive system) and  pattern baldness.It was not clear just how strong the link between the two really was,indeed some suggested that the premature balding may even be seen to point to a reduced risk of prostate cancer. A new team of scientists led by Philippe Giraud of Georges Pompidou European Hospital in Paris decided to probe further by asking 669 men — 338 of whom had a history of prostate cancer — how bald they were at ages 20, 30 and 40, using previous standard images for reference.

The study uncovered some startling facts about prostate cancer, the men who didn`t begin to lose their hair until age 30 or 40 showed no increased risk compared to the group of developing cancer.The ones that had suffered from early pattern baldness a condition known to doctors as androgenic alopecia — at age 20, the risk doubled.

. Apparently Giraud had said that “balding men should not panic, The fact that a (young) man is losing his hair does not mean that he will have cancer”, He also cautioned that the results would need to be verified in follow up studies.But the findings suggest that premature balding could become a useful marker to help doctors screen for prostate cancer, he said.Mr Giraud also said that, “Current prostate cancer screening protocols are very controversial because some worry that systematic screening at 50 years old — without taking other criteria into account — will lead to over-treatment,”.

In another completely seperate study published last year it was shown  that finger patterns could also help identify which men should undergo regular screening for prostate cancer,with men whose index fingers are longer than their ring, or fourth, fingers running a significantly lower risk of contracting prostate cancer.

The Decision: Your prostate biopsy shows cancer. Now what?: Medical insight, personal stories, and humor by a urologist who has been where you are now.