Taking a cancer treatment drug to help hair loss?

[cantosis]

hi Apologies if this has been asked a number of times. Whilst doing some research on Finasteride, the thing that stood out for me was that this drug was originaly used for a treatment against prostate cancer but some of the paitents noticed they had a increase in hair over a period of time..


So the thing that is on my mind is that I am taking propecia now so in essence am I taking a drug that is supposed to be used to treat cancer in the hope I might grow some hair??.


Also while the overall opinion is finasteride will help against cancer I noticed one doctor saying that while it might help against small cancers it is likely to devlop a more severe type of cancer as well.


Sorry I havn`t worded it very well but i hope you get my drift..


thanks

matthew

 

[Grantspots]

You've painted some very broad strokes there. Ones that require detailed explanations. Is your question whether we are aware or concerned we are taking a drug that was developed for enlarged prostates? No, it been proven safe and effective - many drugs start as treatments for other symptons and diseases.

Or that it's been proven that some guys on Proscar who've develop prostate cancer get a more severe form? Well, ask yourself this - did the Proscar cause the cancer? No, that hasn't been proven. And how severe would their form of cancer be if they HADN'T taken Proscar? Tough to say, Proscar could have masked and treated the early symptoms.

jerry grant

 

[cantosis]

Thanks for the reply, It was just a couple of things that have been on my mind.I did some research before I started propecia and I continue to do research whilst taking it.


I just assumed that propecia was a drug that was developed for hair loss and I was kinda shocked when I found out it was to treat prostate cancer but some paitents found they regrew hair whilst taking it.

in reality we are all taking a drug that is made for treating cancer.

 

[flux]

in reality we are all taking a drug that is made for treating cancer.

In reality we're taking a 5ar inhibitor, blocking the enzyme that converts forms of testosterone to DHT. Merck was aware that the prevention of DHT could also be benificial for male pattern baldness when they developed it for prostate cancer. The market for MBP isnt lucrative enough for pharmacutical companies to be researching specific cures, as male pattern baldness isnt covered by health insurance. That is why pharmacutical treatments like finasteride, Min, spironolactone and OSH101 (and countless more) were initially developed for unrelated health conditions.

 

[Grantspots]

...in reality we are all taking a drug that is made for treating cancer.

Proscar is for the treatment of BPH - Benign Prostate Hyperplasia or enlarged prostate. Finasteride inhibits the growth of the Prostate and decreases the size of the gland. In it's clinical form, BPH is not a cancer.

Where did you hear it was a cancer drug?

jerry grant

 

[drinkrum]

The indication for BPH treatment is also 5 mg/day of finasteride. For male pattern baldness, it is 1 mg/day. The drug is not an anti-cancer medication but as mentioned used to control (decrease) the size of the prostate. If Proscar is unsuccessful, the next best alternative is usually prostate surgery.

The only real relationship between prostate cancer and Proscar is that it was recently noted that people taking finasteride have a lower occurence of prostate cancer.

D.

 

[Axon]

Type II - 5 AR inhibition just happens to do both things.