Can You Use Finasteride if You’ve Had Testicular Cancer?'

Name: Lewis

Question: I had testicular cancer a few years ago and had to have one testicle removed. I got the all clear but I've now started losing my hair and wanted to know if I can still take finasteride?

Answer: Hi, Lewis. As your enquiry is regarding finasteride 1mg, we are presuming you have already been diagnosed with the condition this drug is intended to treat - Male Pattern Baldness.

If you are self-diagnosing your hair loss condition, your first port of call should be a specialist so that you get a professional diagnosis and receive appropriate, personalised treatment recommendations based on their findings.

If the shedding is caused by something other than genetic hair loss, finasteride 1mg is an unsuitable treatment given it is only MHRA-licensed and FDA-approved for this purpose. In it's one-a-day tablet form, it is designed to inhibit the formation of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which is the cause of follicular miniaturisation in cases of genetic hairloss.

Male Pattern Baldness tends to present as gradually thinning hair in defined areas but can affect anywhere along the top of the head from the crown to hairline and temples; other forms of hair loss tend to cause diffuse shedding from all over the scalp, which may seem to come on quickly, or the sudden onset of rounded bald patches where hair falls out in clumps.

In answer to your question, and based upon the assumption you have a confirmed diagnosis of Male Pattern Hair Loss, it is against Belgravia policy to prescribe finasteride 1mg - or any form of low level laser therapy (LLLT) - to men with a history of testicular cancer.

If your doctor feels that finasteride 1mg is necessary and safe for you to take, your doctor may sign a prescription for you, but this is not something we can do at either of our hair loss clinic locations.

We do accept medically-suitable patients who have previously had testicular cancer for tailored hair loss treatment courses based around topical applications of high strength minoxidil plus additional appropriate supplementary products, where desired.

However, if you had cancer less than five years ago, we would require a letter from your doctor or oncologist to confirm that you are suitable for treatment before we could dispense any medication or hair growth supporting products to you. If the cancer was more than five years ago, this step is not necessary as long as there are no other contraindications.