Association Between Male Pattern Baldness and Testicular Germ Cell Tumor: A Meta-Analysis

The meta-analysis by Zhou et al. from 2019 investigated the link between male pattern baldness (MPB) and the risk of testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT), analyzing data from 5 case-control studies with a total of 884 cases. The findings showed that baldness was associated with a statistically significant decreased risk of TGCT (OR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.50-0.74), particularly at stage II baldness, which appeared to be a stronger protective factor. Despite these results, the authors noted the need for further research, including randomized controlled trials, to confirm the protective role of baldness against TGCT and to consider additional factors such as race, age, and body mass index.