Background: Early-onset baldness has been linked to prostate cancer; however, little is known about this relationship in African Americans who are at elevated prostate cancer risk.
Methods: We recruited 219 African-American controls and 318 African-American prostate cancer cases. We determined age-stratified associations of baldness with prostate cancer occurrence and severity defined by high stage (T3/T4) or high grade (Gleason 7+.) Associations of androgen metabolism genotypes (CYP3A4, CYP3A5, CYP3A43, AR-CAG, SRD5A2 A49T, and SRD5A2 V89L), family history, alcohol intake, and smoking were examined by baldness status and age group by using multivariable logistic regression models.
Results: Baldness was associated with odds of prostate cancer [OR = 1.69; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05-2.74]. Frontal baldness was associated with high-stage (OR = 2.61; 95% CI, 1.10-6.18) and high-grade (OR = 2.20; 95% CI, 1.05-4.61) tumors. For men diagnosed less than the age of 60 years, frontal baldness was associated with high stage (OR = 6.51; 95% CI, 2.11-20.06) and high grade (OR = 4.23; 95% CI, 1.47-12.14). We also observed a suggestion of an interaction among smoking, median age, and any baldness (P = 0.02).
Conclusions: We observed significant associations between early-onset baldness and prostate cancer in African-American men. Interactions with age and smoking were suggested in these associations. Studies are needed to investigate the mechanisms influencing the relationship between baldness and prostate cancer in African-American men.Impact: African-American men present with unique risk factors including baldness patterns that may contribute to prostate cancer disparities.
Written by:
Zeigler-Johnson C, Morales KH, Spangler E, Chang BL, Rebbeck TR Are you the author?
Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Reference: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2013 Mar 26.(Epub ahead of print)
doi: 10.1158/1055-9965
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 23532004
