Androgenic alopecia is not useful as an indicator of men at high risk of prostate cancer
European Journal of Cancer, 06/23/2010
Cremers RG et al. –This study did not find consistent positive associations between AA at different ages and PC. Surprisingly, if anything, baldness at early age is inversely related to PC in this study. Androgenic alopecia is not useful as an indicator of men at high risk of PC.
Methods- Case group comprised 938 PC patients recruited from a population-based cancer registry
- Controls (n=2160) were a random sample of male general population
- All subjects completed a questionnaire on risk factors for cancer, including questions on hair pattern at different ages using an adapted version of the Hamilton-Norwood scale, race and family history of PC
- ORs and 95% CIs were calculated using multivariable logistic regression
- Baldness at early age appeared to be associated with a lower risk of PC (baldness at age 20: OR=0.86; 95% CI 0.69–1.07 and baldness at age 40: OR=0.81; 95% CI 0.70–0.96)
- Baldness at completion of the questionnaire was not associated with PC: OR=1.10; 95% CI 0.89–1.34
- Isolated ‘frontal baldness’ or ‘vertex baldness’ pattern was not significantly associated with PC at any age
- Presence of a combined ‘frontal and vertex’ baldness pattern at age 40 was associated with a decreased risk of PC (OR=0.62; 95% CI 0.45–0.86)
- No significant associations between AA and aggressive PC
