Hair loss Drugs and Cancer Detection

A study involving the hair loss prevention drug Propecia has been all the hype in recent hair loss news. The bald fact is that Propecia's active ingredient finasteride, can interfere with prostate cancer tests.  According to a research report released on Monday, men using Propecia could experience inaccurate test readings, which can mask the presence of prostate cancer.

The most common test used to detect prostate cancer called the PSA test, which looks at levels of a prostate specific antigen. Coincidentally, the use of  finasteride lowers a males PSA level; so an abnormally high PSA level could show up as normal, thus creating the possibility for unidentified prostate cancer.

The study, which was funded by Merck (manufacturer of Propecia), followed 308 men age 40 to 60 with male-pattern baldness. Of the 247 men who took 1 milligram of finasteride daily for 12 months, an average of a 48% decrease in PSA level was detected. 

If you're currently taking Propecia and are concerned about prostate cancer "you should know the PSA may not be the most accurate predictor of cancer." "Other tests, such as the digital rectal exam, may be of more importance," says Dr. David Quinn, an oncologist at USC who has worked on previous finasteride studies for the drug's maker, Merck & Co.