Baldness Prostate Cancer Risk: 40% Higher Odds Confirmed by Major Study
Baldness prostate cancer risk has been confirmed by a large cohort analysis from the prospective Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial. The study found that men who had moderate baldness affecting both the front and the crown of their head at age 45 were at a 40% increased risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer later in life, compared to men with no baldness at that age.
Importantly, no significant link was found between other patterns of baldness and prostate cancer risk. The study, published September 15 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, supports earlier research suggesting that male pattern baldness and prostate cancer may share a common biological pathway.
What the Research Found
The analysis examined male pattern baldness in relation to prostate cancer risk in a cohort of 39,070 men from the U.S. PLCO Cancer Screening Trial, aged 55 to 74 years at enrollment. Participants received a questionnaire asking them to recall their hair loss patterns at age 45 using a pictorial tool.
During follow up, 1,138 prostate cancer cases were diagnosed. Of those, 51% were classified as aggressive, defined as a Gleason score of 7 or higher, stage III or IV disease, or prostate cancer as the cause of death. The mean age at diagnosis was 72.
Men with a specific pattern of baldness — frontal thinning combined with moderate crown or vertex thinning — were 40% more likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer compared to men with no baldness. No association was found between male pattern baldness and non aggressive prostate cancer risk.
Why Baldness Prostate Cancer Risk May Be Biologically Linked
The connection between baldness prostate cancer risk is thought to involve androgens — male sex hormones — and androgen receptors. Emerging evidence suggests that both prostate cancer and male pattern baldness are connected to elevated androgen levels and androgen receptor activity, providing a plausible biological explanation for why the two conditions may be linked.
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men in the United States, making the identification of early risk factors a meaningful public health priority. If the baldness prostate cancer risk association is confirmed by further research, a simple assessment of hair loss pattern could potentially become part of a broader prostate cancer risk evaluation for men in their mid 40s.
What Researchers Are Saying
Senior study author Michael B. Cook, PhD, an investigator in the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute, noted that the findings are specific to one particular hair loss pattern. “Our study found an increased risk for aggressive prostate cancer only in men with a very specific pattern of hair loss — baldness at the front and moderate hair thinning on the crown of the head, at the age of 45. But we saw no increased risk for any form of prostate cancer in men with other hair loss patterns,” Cook stated.
He also emphasized caution: “While our data show a strong possibility for a link between the development of baldness and aggressive prostate cancer, it is too soon to apply these findings to patient care.”
Dr. Cook’s research team is currently conducting two additional cohort analyses exploring the relationship between male pattern baldness and risk of developing and dying from prostate cancer. One study includes a baseline dermatologic assessment of male pattern baldness, which may be more reliable than the recall method used in the current analysis.
Clinical Research in Oncology at FOMAT
At FOMAT, we actively support oncology clinical research across the United States, including studies focused on prostate cancer and other urologic cancers. Research like this — published by the National Institutes of Health — highlights the importance of ongoing investigation into cancer risk factors and the need for diverse patient participation in clinical trials.
Are you interested in participating in a prostate cancer or oncology related clinical study? Visit our Active Studies page to explore current research opportunities at FOMAT.
Source: National Institutes of Health, September 16, 2014