Cold Caps Can Prevent Hair Loss from Chemotherapy
Cold Caps Can Prevent Hair Loss from Chemotherapy – An experimental therapy which involves wearing tightly-fitting caps filled with gel that’s chilled to between -15 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit seem to prevent hair loss in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
The cold caps have not yet been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but are in clinical trials. The theory is that the cold caps prevent the the amount of chemo medicine from reaching the hair follicles by narrowing the blood vessels beneath the scalp, and thus prevent the hair from falling out.
The cap needs to be worn for 7 to 8 hours according to a specific schedule before, during, and after the chemo treatments. Many of the patients who tried the cold caps found them uncomfortable and exhausting, but say they were able to keep most of their hair.
Professional snowboarder Megan Pischke Porcheron, who was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer two years ago, tried the therapy and filmed her cold cap treatment in order to share her experience with other women battling breast cancer. Her documentary, Chasing Sunshine, which shows her cold cap therapy footage debuted at the 2015 X Games Aspen this January.
According to Porcheron, although her hair thinned significantly, she was happy she was able to keep 50% of her hair with the therapy. She also pointed out that whatever hair she lost was evenly spread out and did not fall out in patches. She says that for her, the fact that it allowed her to keep her cancer private while undergoing treatment helped her a lot. Looking in the mirror and not seeing a sick stranger also helped boost her self-esteem and confidence.
Since the cold-cap treatment is not approved by FDA, patients have to buy or rent the caps on their own from companies like DigniCap, Penguin Cold Caps, and Chemo Cold Caps. The cost (the caps can cost $600 a month or $400 per treatment), the discomfort and the complicated process are some of the drawbacks of the therapy, but for many cancer patients, the benefits might seem attractive.
According to Len Lichtenfeld, M.D., deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, the cold caps can help breast cancer patients deal with the physical and psychological effects of the disease. However, the treatment can also be a cause for concern, as “it could lead to a reservoir of cancer cells being left untreated or protected there, potentially creating long-term problems in the form of recurrence years later.”
Category: News
