Male Pattern Baldness or Androgenic Alopecia is the most common form of hair loss in men and a study shows a link between baldness and prostate cancer. The Journal of Clinical Oncology’s September 2014 issue reported a link to an increased risk of prostate cancer, some more aggressive, in males sharing a common pathophysiologic mechanism. Their research studied over 39,000 men all who experienced a form of hair loss by the age of 45 and had no history of cancer. Three years into the study, over 1,100 were diagnosed with prostate cancer and of them 50% was considered an aggressive cancer.
The study reported, male pattern baldness and prostate cancer risk increased at age 45 and were 39% more likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer than those men who did not have hair loss. Male pattern baldness is top and thinning on sides, however other types of baldness or thinning were not found to be associated with prostate cancer.
Researchers believe the male hormone Testosterone, is a strong factor in the growth and development of prostate cancer. More research is still needed to determine whether baldness can be a strong identifier for prostate cancer.