Aromatase Inhibitors Induce Male Pattern Hair Loss in Women
May 2013
in “
Annals of Oncology
”
aromatase inhibitors male pattern hair loss hormone receptor-positive breast cancer androgenetic alopecia 5α-reductase testosterone DHT frontal hairline recession parietal hairline recession diffuse hair loss pseudo male pattern androgenetic alopecia AIs male pattern baldness FAGA dihydrotestosterone
Studysummary This study observed that aromatase inhibitors caused hair loss in menopausal women with breast cancer, mimicking male pattern baldness rather than female androgenetic alopecia.
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The study investigated whether aromatase inhibitors (AIs) used in breast cancer treatment could induce male pattern hair loss in women. The researchers studied 15 menopausal women aged 50 to 60 years with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer who received AIs for one year. After one year of therapy, the women experienced hair loss, and the researchers observed recession of the frontal and parietal hairlines and diffuse hair loss, mimicking a typically female androgenetic alopecia (FAGA) with male patterns. The researchers concluded that AIs, blocking the synthesis of estrogens, induce a relative enhancement in the activity of 5α-reductase, leading to a relative increase in the amount of testosterone available for conversion to DHT, causing a male pattern hair loss, mimicking a FAGA, which could be called 'pseudo male pattern androgenetic alopecia'.
