As it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Paxman is raising awareness of a critical and often overlooked side effect faced by many cancer patients: the risk of developing persistent chemotherapy-induced alopecia (PCIA) as a result of cancer treatment.
Paxman
The efficacy of scalp cooling in preventing PCIA has once again come to the forefront through a study, Scalp Cooling in Preventing Persistent Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia: A Randomised Controlled Trial, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by D. Kang et al.
The findings have the potential to reshape our understanding of PCIA and how Scalp Cooling has been proven to have a positive impact in reducing the risk for people navigating a cancer diagnosis.
Understanding Chemotherapy-Induced and Persistent Alopecia
Chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) is a common side effect experienced by patients undergoing chemotherapy. While typically temporary, some patients do not experience complete hair regrowth even after treatment ends, a condition known as persistent or permanent CIA (PCIA).
In a previous study, up to 42.3% of breast cancer patients had incomplete hair regrowth three years after chemotherapy. Moreover, although hair density often returns to baseline levels within six months post-chemotherapy, hair thickness frequently remains compromised, signalling long-term follicle damage.
Scalp cooling has already been established as a viable method to reduce hair loss during chemotherapy. However, evidence supporting its effectiveness in preventing long-term PCIA has been limited. This recent study aimed to investigate the impact of scalp cooling on PCIA prevention and hair recovery in breast cancer patients, and the results are promising.
Study findings
The randomised clinical trial demonstrated that scalp cooling significantly reduces the incidence of PCIA by promoting hair regrowth, particularly in terms of hair thickness, compared to the control group.
The study also revealed that patients who used scalp cooling experienced faster recovery of hair density and thickness and showed significant improvements in their quality of life, including reduced psychological distress. The need for concealment strategies, such as wigs and scarves, was also significantly lower in the scalp cooling group, further highlighting the emotional and social benefits of this intervention.
The positive outcomes were consistent across different chemotherapy regimens and age groups. Patients who underwent scalp cooling experienced less CIA-related stress six months after chemotherapy, with reduced reliance on head coverings and lower scores on the Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia Distress Scale (CADS).
Richard Paxman, CEO of Paxman, commented on the importance of the findings: “This study underscores the importance of providing patients with the option of scalp cooling as a way to mitigate the risk of persistent hair loss, which can have a lasting emotional impact. By reducing the likelihood of PCIA, we can not only improve patients' physical recovery but also help them regain a sense of normality and confidence post-treatment.”
Implications for clinical practice
The study's results suggest that scalp cooling should be considered a standard care option for patients at risk of PCIA, especially those receiving anthracycline and/or taxane-based chemotherapy. By offering scalp cooling as part of routine cancer care, healthcare providers can help mitigate the long-term impact of chemotherapy-induced hair loss, improving both the physical recovery and the emotional well-being of patients.
Although the trial demonstrated benefits in reducing PCIA within six months of chemotherapy, the authors acknowledged that additional research is needed to establish the long-term advantages of scalp cooling beyond this period.
