Hair today, cancer tomorrow?
If you or a man you love takes Propecia, take note: experts say the hair loss drug can artificially lower results of the PSA test, potentially masking early warning signs of prostate cancer.
I've written to you recently about the limitations of the PSA test. We know it's not perfect, but as I said in my recent HouseCall, until we have a better method, we've got to work with what we've got. And in some cases, particularly when PSA climbs dramatically over time or when several PSA tests consistently demonstrate levels over 4, the PSA can be a solid indicator of developing cancer.
That's why this Propecia finding is a real problem. In the study, they found that taking as little as one milligram of Propecia a day lowered PSA levels as much as 40 percent in men between the ages of 40 and 49 and as much as 50 percent in men between 50 and 60. It took as long as 48 weeks for the change to develop - but men who take Propecia tend to take it long term.
I'd say the best remedy is to stop taking Propecia. But men who are determined to continue should be sure to tell their doctor that they use it and make sure their doctors are aware of the PSA connection. The authors recommend looking for small, gradual increases in PSA over time for men who use Propecia instead of fixating on the widely used treatment threshold of 4.
