In a nutshell
This study wanted to see if using a scalp cooling cap during chemotherapy stopped patients with breast cancer from losing their hair. The study found that scalp cooling help prevent the patients from losing their hair.
Some background
An unfortunate side effect of chemotherapy for breast cancer is that often, patients lose their hair. It is well known that cooling the scalp helps prevent the hair from falling out. However, it is not clear which method works the best.
Methods & findings
This study consisted of 79 patients. All of the patients were having chemotherapy treatment for early stage breast cancer. Of these, 39 patients were given scalp cooling treatment during chemotherapy. The remaining 27 did not have any scalp cooling treatment. The method used to cool the scalp was a cap/hat which is placed on the head to lower the temperature of the scalp. This was used during every chemotherapy session. The patients were followed for 12 months after their treatment ended.
It was found that 39.3% of the patients who had scalp cooling kept their hair, while 0% of those who did not have scalp cooling kept their hair. Those who had scalp cooling were less likely to use wigs or scarves to cover up their head.
The bottom line
The authors found that using scalp cooling techniques during chemotherapy helped patients with breast cancer from losing their hair.
The fine print
This is a small study, but confirms other findings.
What’s next?
Discuss if scalp cooling might be right for you with your doctor.
Published By :
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
Date :
Sep 25, 2018
