Cancer Patients Advised to Stop Biotin Before Blood Tests to Avoid False Results
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An oncologist is urging doctors to warn cancer patients that biotin supplements can interfere with crucial blood tests, potentially masking cancer recurrence. The vitamin can falsely suppress or elevate markers for prostate, thyroid, ovarian, and breast cancers, as well as troponin for heart attacks. Patients are advised to stop taking biotin at least 72 hours before scheduled blood tests.
Facts First
- Biotin supplements can interfere with blood tests used to monitor prostate, thyroid, ovarian, and breast cancers.
- Biotin can falsely suppress PSA and TSH levels, which may mask cancer recurrence.
- Biotin can falsely elevate reproductive hormones like estrogen and testosterone.
- Biotin can impact troponin levels, a marker for heart attacks.
- Oncologists are urged to discuss this risk with patients, advising them to stop biotin at least 72 hours before tests.
What Happened
Dr. Brittany Dulmage authored a paper urging oncologists to discuss two key issues with patients: hair loss and biotin's effect on test results. Biotin can interfere with blood tests used to monitor prostate, thyroid, ovarian, and breast cancers. Specifically, biotin can falsely suppress or lower levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which may mask cancer recurrence. It can also falsely elevate levels of reproductive hormones and impact levels of troponin, a marker used to determine if someone is having a heart attack.
Why this Matters to You
If you are a cancer patient or survivor using biotin supplements, your blood test results may be inaccurate. This could lead to a false sense of security if a recurrence is masked, or unnecessary concern if hormone levels appear falsely elevated. Dr. Dulmage advises patients to stop taking biotin at least 72 hours before scheduled blood tests to ensure reliable results. For hair loss, minoxidil is an FDA-approved, over-the-counter topical treatment, but it is not recommended for use during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
What's Next
Oncologists may begin incorporating this warning into patient discussions more routinely following Dr. Dulmage's published paper. Patients using biotin will need to plan supplement pauses around their blood test schedules. The availability of alternative, FDA-approved treatments like minoxidil for hair loss may become a more prominent part of post-cancer care conversations.