Are PSA Adjustments Necessary for Prostate Cancer Screening in Men Taking Finasteride for Hair Loss?

    Eric A. Klein
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    TLDR Finasteride for hair loss lowers PSA levels, so PSA values need adjusting when screening for prostate cancer.
    The document discusses a study that investigated the effect of 1 mg daily finasteride, a dose commonly used for male-pattern hair loss, on serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentrations in men aged 40-60 years. The study was a multicenter, placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind trial with 355 patients enrolled, of which 308 completed the study per protocol. The results showed that finasteride led to a median decrease in PSA concentrations of 42% over 48 weeks, with a 40% decrease in the 40-49-year age group and a 50% decrease in the 50-60-year age group. In contrast, the placebo group did not show reductions in PSA levels. The conclusion drawn from the study is that finasteride at a dose of 1 mg daily has a similar effect on PSA concentrations as the 5 mg dose used for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and therefore, PSA values should be adjusted during prostate cancer screening for men taking finasteride for hair loss.
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      community Physician here AMA – 30M oral Fin 1-1.25 mg daily

      in Update  47 upvotes 3 years ago
      Hair loss treatments, specifically the use of finasteride, microneedling and potentially oral minoxidil. People discussed their experiences with finasteride, its effects on sexual behaviors, as well as potential solutions such as tadalafil or using other growth factor signal peptides for hope in curing male pattern baldness.

      community Topical dutasteride is superior to oral finasteride

      in Research/Science  97 upvotes 1 week ago
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