Circulating and Intraprostatic Sex Steroid Hormonal Profiles in Relation to Male Pattern Baldness and Chest Hair Density Among Men Diagnosed with Localized Prostate Cancers

October 2017 in “ The Prostate ”

Cindy Ke Zhou, Frank Z. Stanczyk, Muhannad Hafi, Carmela C. Veneroso, Barlow Lynch, Roni T. Falk, Shelley Niwa, Eric Emanuel, Yu-Tang Gao, George P. Hemstreet, Ladan Zolfghari, Peter R. Carroll, Michael J. Manyak, Isabell A. Sesterhenn, Paul H. Levine, Ann W. Hsing, Michael B. Cook

male pattern baldness chest hair density sex hormone levels serum testosterone DHT estradiol SHBG intraprostatic testosterone androgen receptor activity prostate cancer Gleason score baldness testosterone dihydrotestosterone sex hormone-binding globulin androgen receptor

TLDR Baldness in men with prostate cancer is linked to higher levels of certain sex hormones, but chest hair density is not.

The study examined the link between male pattern baldness, chest hair density, and sex hormone levels in 248 men with localized prostate cancer. It found that baldness was positively associated with higher levels of serum testosterone, DHT, estradiol, and SHBG, and to a lesser extent with intraprostatic testosterone, particularly in cancers with a Gleason score ≥7 and in bald European Americans. No significant association was found between chest hair density and hormone levels. The findings suggest that baldness may be an indicator of systemic sex hormone levels, but the weak association with intraprostatic hormones indicates that factors like androgen receptor activity might be more relevant in the prostate. The study highlights a potential link between dermatological features and prostate cancer risk, with strong correlations between certain serum and tissue hormones.

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