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Oh Nuts! Propecia Masks Prostate Cancer Tests
A recent study has shown that the popular hair-loss drug Propecia can cockblock tests for prostate cancer.
In findings that were ironically funded by pharmaceutical giant Merck, the maker of Propecia, the drug that in some cases, can limit the natural disappearance of hair, can also limit the reliability of the commonly used prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.
Men using Propecia "should be aware that their PSA will be falsely lowered" and that small changes upward could be signs of trouble, said study lead author Dr. Anthony D'Amico, chief of genitourinary radiation oncology at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. - HealthDay News
Apparently 40% of the men studied between 40-49 had their PSA levels lowered after less than a year of taking Propecia, and 50% of men between 50-59 had lower PSAs. Meanwhile those men who took the placebo found their PSA rise on average of 13%.photo by Britt Elizabeth
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