The shape of baldness as a marker of prostate cancer
How baldness is associated with the development of prostate cancer
According to new data, baldness of the anterior region of the head, together with moderate thinning of the hair on the top of the head at the age of about 45 years, increases the risk of developing an aggressive form of prostate cancer by 40% in the future compared to men who do not suffer from baldness. The results of this work are published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (Zhou et al., Relationship Between Male Pattern Baldness and the Risk of Aggressive Prostate Cancer: An Analysis of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial).
Prostate cancer is the cause of almost 10% of cancer deaths among men and one of the main causes of death in older men worldwide. According to the latest scientific data, both prostate cancer and alopecia (baldness) in men, they are associated with high levels of male sex hormones (androgens) and an increased number of androgen receptors.
The development of androgenic alopecia is genetically determined and consists in the damaging effect on the hair follicles of the active form of the male sex hormone testosterone – dihydrotestosterone, which is formed under the influence of the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase, located in the hair follicles. Penetrating into the follicle cells, dihydrotestosterone causes their dystrophy and, accordingly, the dystrophy of the hair produced by them. Since baldness in men is most often a consequence of increased testosterone production in the body, active hair loss in men in adulthood may indicate an increased risk of prostate cancer during their later life.
Researchers from the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda analyzed data from more than 39 thousand men aged 55 to 74 years. During the entire study period, 1,138 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer, which in 51% of cases had an aggressive form (on the Gleason scale – from 7 points and above, stage III-IV cancer or prostate cancer was the cause of death). The average age of the patients at which they were diagnosed was 72 years.
As the results of the study showed, in 45-year–old men with a certain type of baldness, in which the hair actively falls out in the anterior part (near the forehead) and moderately in the parietal region, the risk of developing an aggressive form of prostate cancer in the future was 40% higher compared to men who do not suffer from alopecia.
Type of baldness associated with a high risk of aggressive prostate cancer
(figure from the ASCO Certain Form of Baldness at Age 45 press release Linked to Higher Risk of Aggressive Prostate Cancer – VM).
The main author of the study, Michael Cook, noted that the results obtained will be verified by his scientific group in the course of future studies, in which a dermatological assessment of the condition of the scalp will be carried out and the influence of other factors affecting the development of prostate cancer will be more accurately calculated.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru17.09.2014