Propecia and Prostate Cancer: Balancing Vanity With Health

As you can see from the headshot of me that runs with my articles, I am one of the many men in America who wakes up every morning, looks in the mirror, and wonders what I could do to grow more hair.

So far, I have decided to embrace the changes that come with middle age, but many men who are experiencing hair loss do decide to try and "grow more hair." Treating male-pattern baldness, however, is not a risk-free endeavor. There is a range of anti-balding products on the market today. Treatments and strategies vary, and so do the all-important side-effects of these remedies.

I may one day choose to entertain my vanity myself. Should I do so, the first thing I need to be aware of are the potential health risks of the different baldness treatments available.

One of the more common approaches to reversing baldness on the market today is the popular and successful drug Propecia. All drugs and medications come with the risk of side effects, and in some cases, taking a medication for one thing can mask or hide other developing health problems. In the case of Propecia, recent research indicates that using the drug can alter the results of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test used to screen for prostate cancer in men.

A study from Anthony V. D'Amico, MD, PhD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Claus G. Roehrborn, MD, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, found that men on Propecia may have dangerously high PSA levels even if their test indicates levels are in the normal range.

"The men who use Propecia are young men, in their 30s, 40s, and 50s," D'Amico said in an interview with the medical website Web MD. "This is important because these are the guys who, if they have prostate cancer, need to be diagnosed."

Merck, which makes Propecia and funded the research, said that information advising patients to inform their doctor if they are taking Propecia has been included in the drug packaging since the product was initially approved in 1997.

The study found that Propecia cuts PSA levels in half after one year of use. While there is no PSA threshold below which cancer risk is completely eliminated, or above which cancer is a certainty, the conventional normal range is between 0 and 4.0.

However, for men on Propecia, a PSA level of 2.0 could indicate prostate cancer risk.

"If you've been on Propecia for a year, you should double the PSA score," D'Amico said.

"If you are on Propecia for more than a year, don't multiply the score; look at the change in PSA over time. If it goes up by more than three-tenths of a point, consider a biopsy," he said.

The danger is that men may get Propecia from one doctor and PSA tests from another, says urologist Yair Lotan, MD, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

"So if your internist doesn't know you're being treated for male pattern baldness, and your PSA is 2.5, they may assume you are normal -- but you really need to double that [score] and see a urologist," Lotan told WebMD.

It's a difficult problem, said Wayne B. Harris, MD, assistant professor of hematology and oncology at Emory University and the Atlanta VA Medical Center.

A doctor may see a PSA result of three, and not be aware the patient is taking Propecia, and therefore actually has a PSA level equivalent to a six, Dr. Harris explained.

If you are using propecia, you must inform your doctor. Being thorough, and being aware that Propecia can mask PSA test results, will help you and your doctor determine your actual cancer risk. Legitimate, safe and test-proven drugs like Propecia don’t need to compromise your health.

Men and women today have many options for delaying and offsetting the affects of aging. The information to do so safely is out there for the taking-- and so are the marvels of medicine. If looking better means feeling better, then perhaps appealing to your vanity will not only eliminate your bald spot but may enhance your overall middle-age experience.

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News Source: http://www.foxnews.com/

Propecia – Avoid male pattern baldness

Do you think that a bald looks beautiful? The answer should be no because nature has given hundred thousands to one hundred fifty thousands hair on the head of a normal human being. Now days, there is an increase in the number of people who complains that they face loss of hair due to different factors.

There are also different types of baldness and the related remedy differs in each case. Male pattern baldness is the most common amongst different types of baldness and is known as alopecia. The main characteristic of such type of baldness is that remaining hair on the head acquires shape of ‘M’ and they become very thin.

Propecia prescription hair loss medication is designed mainly for men who suffer from mild to moderate hair loss. The effects of hair loss and propecia were studied in several clinical trials, and propecia was found to be better than a placebo. However, studies have shown that this drug is ineffective amongst women and has associated dangers of abnormalities to the male fetus. This is the reason that propecia is not recommended for female pattern hair baldness.

How propecia works?
Propecia works whereby it interferes with the process of androgenetic hair loss which usually follows this process:
1. High levels of an enzyme known as 5-alpha-reeducates occur in cells of the hair follicle.
2. This enzyme converts testosterone into DHT.
3. DHT causes miniaturization of robust terminal hairs.
4. This results in fine, soft vellus hairs that provide limited scalp coverage.
5. The growth phase gradually shortens until these hairs are lost permanently.

Propecia inhibits the formation of DHT and over a period of several months reduces levels of DHT sufficiently to minimize its effects on the hair follicle.

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Source: http://www.content-articles.com/article.aspx?i=42082&t=Propecia-%E2%80%93-Avoid-male-pattern-baldness

Proper treatment helps stop further hair loss

As the only dermatologist in the country with a subspecialty in hair and scalp, Dr. Rica Mallari is the foremost hair and scalp expert in the Philippines.


Trained in Australia, Dr. Mallari believes that the future of hair and scalp as a subspecialty is bright. "Seventy-five percent of my patients come to me for their hair loss problems. Many of them are young and concerned about going totally bald. Most of them complain about being teased. My younger patients are more receptive to treatment. Others are just unaware," she explained.

Male pattern hair loss (MPHL) is the most common form of hair loss among men. It accounts for approximately 95 percent of all cases of hair loss in men. "The youngest MPHL patient I have encountered is 13 years old during my fellowship training in Australia. In the Philippines, my youngest MPHL patient is about 15 years old," Dr. Mallari said. "However, I could not prescribe an MPHL medicine called finasteride until he reaches 18. Prescription of the drug requires that the patient be at least 18 years old," she explained.

Dr. Mallari is a fellow of the Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS) and is head of the Hair Unit of the Dermatology Center at St. Luke’s Medical Center. According to her, pattern baldness is also a problem among women, but in most cases, women experience hair loss due to iron deficiency (due to heavy menstrual periods), zinc deficiency (due to crash diets), endocrine or thyroid problems, or damage caused by chemical treatments. Some women have hair loss because of a more serious problem, such as lupus, which is usually accompanied by a fever. However, more men tend to have hair loss due to pattern baldness.

As soon as she sees MPHL in her male patients, Dr. Mallari immediately recommends that they take the oral pill finasteride to stop any more hair loss. Whether her patients would opt for surgical transplantation or not, they at least try to control the hair loss and help them keep the hair that they still have until they can decide — because it usually takes them a while to decide. "I give my patients all the options, and then let them choose. But by giving them the medication right away, no time is wasted. The hair loss is already being stopped in its tracks," she said.

Finasteride usually takes three to four months to show visible results. "But some of my patients want a ‘quick’ solution, so they opt for a surgical transplant. Nonetheless, it still takes about six months for the transplanted hair follicles to re-grow, and medication like finasteride is still recommended to help hair regrowth and stop further hair loss," she added.

Dr. Mallari noted that more men are becoming aware that MPHL is a medical problem and not merely a cosmetic one. She is also glad that a number of barbershops are now referring their customers to doctors, instead of simply selling them shampoos and other topical hair products. MPHL is treatable and further hair loss can be prevented if it is treated in the early stage. That is why she advises young men with MPHL to get treatment as early as possible, because it is a progressive condition. "Finasteride is 99 percent effective. However, it is unfortunate that many of my patients have spent huge amounts on clinics that offer ‘non-surgical’ transplant procedures, but end up with very disappointing results," she explained.

Finasteride is the only FDA-approved pill demonstrated to treat male pattern hair loss on the vertex (top of head) and anterior midscalp area (middle front of head), in men only. In a five-year reported controlled clinical study of men with certain types of MPHL, two out of three men on finasteride regrew hair, based on actual hair counts over time.

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News Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/HLTH2006120280974.html