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A widely used hair-loss drug for men has been found to change prostate cancer test results, causing skewed interpretations that could hide the presence of cancer cells, according to a new study.

Men that use Merck & Co.''s Propecia “should be aware that their PSA will be falsely lowered,” and that the small changes could lead to a missed cancer diagnosis, said the lead author of the study Dr. Anthony D''Amico.

Most men over 40 begin getting annual prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests—a common cancer screening exam, which reveals the blood levels of a special antigen. Normally, the levels of PSA in the blood are low, but high levels may indicate prostate cancer.

How Propecia Effects PSA

The new study involved 355 men between the ages of 40 to 60 years who had male pattern baldness. Researchers divided up the men into two groups and gave one group Propecia and the other group a placebo.

After 48 weeks, the PSA levels in 40 percent of the men aged 40-49 had dropped and in 50 percent of the men over 50.

In comparison, 13 percent of men who took the placebo experienced increased levels of PSA. These study findings indicate that physicians should alter their interpretation of prostate cancer screening tests for men who use Propecia to avoid a missed diagnosis and other serious injury.

So how exactly does this hair-loss drug effect PSA levels? “By blocking the ability of testosterone to act on the prostate gland, you shut off the enlargement of the gland,” said D''Amico. “If you don''t make benign prostate tissue, you don''t make the PSA that''s associated with it. And that takes PSA levels down.”

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