Hello all,
Has anyone had success with cold cap treatment. Im due to start my first chemo session tomorrow, ( terrified by the way) and my cons has advised there is a theoretical possibilty of scalp mets! Has anyone experienced this? I don’t know what to do. My gut feeling is just to get on with the chemo and not have the cap as I’ll probably loose my hair anyway! Any advice from you lovely people?
Hi Malan,
I have used the cold cap treatment on two separate occasions. The first I was on ECF (Epirubicin, Carboplatin & Flurouracil), and the second time was on Taxotere - I had success both times. With the ECF my hair thinned, but with taxotere - and it is often said hair loss cannot be prevented - I kept a full head of hair.
I did some digging around in BCC Archives and came up with two useful bits of info which I will paste here:
Studies have shown that scalp cooling is effective in preventing hair loss in patients treated with some chemotherapy drugs. Cooling the scalp to a temperature of +17 oC to achieve a subcutaneous temperature of +20 0C (68 oF) constricts the blood supply to hair follicles diminishing or abolishing their perfusion hence preventing high chemotherapy dose delivery during the initial phase of chemotherapy.
Further, coldness itself reduces the availability of (chemotherapy) cytotoxic drugs to the cells of the hair follicles by directly reducing their metabolic rate. It is the combined effect of both these mechanisms, induced by cooling the scalp, that prevents or reduces hair loss (alopecia).
The fact that the cap works by lowering the temp of the scalp and thus reducing the amount of chemotherapy drug to the scalp, therefore POTENTIALLY reducing the effectiveness of the drug to the scalp area, SHOULD it be required.
______________
The question frequently comes up about the risk of recurrence in the scalp area if the cold cap prevents the chemo from reaching the hair follicles.
So this next bit was interesting too.
The question of cold cap/recurrence has come up before. Apparently the cases where scalp mets have developed after cold cap use were in patients who were being treated for secondaries and it is not recommended for them.
Hi Dawnhc,
Thanks for your comments. Its a difficult decision as the dread of loosing my hair is unbearable, but then again do you run the risk of secondaries. Im so pleased to hear you managed to keep your hair. Thats very encouraging.
I may well just give it a go!
Thanks again, Malan x
I used the cold cap last year for 4xFEC and 4XTaxotere.
My hair thinned very slightly on the Fec and no one noticed, it was only my husband who would see me comb my hair over the bath to get rid of the stragglers every morning. I was still blow drying and on a couple of nights out was still tonging curls into it.
The Taxotere was different and it did thin more, however due to keeping it shoulder length I just wore it in a high ponytail and was able to cover the thinner parts. Again no one really noticed and my girlfriends were quite shocked when I did show them how much it had thinned once chemo was over. I feel it was worth it, I tried to carry on as much as possible with school runs, sons football and daughters dancing and not one of their friends noticed or made any comments to them re my appearance which I really appreciated and made it worth while.
If there was a chance of scalp mets them my Onc would have made me fully aware and she would have most certainly included this on her long list of side effects that she clearly noted on all of my consent forms.
It doesn’t work for every one, a lady who was one cycle infront of me was totally bald for her 2nd session, but we were all being monitored and I was marked as one of the successes especially on the FEC. If you are offered it then personally I think its worth a try. Good Luck.
Debbie
I was advised to try the cold cap and not one mention of scalp mets. I did use it but sadly after my first chemo 16 days later I lost most of my hair. It’s a relief to be honest, it saves the worrying down the line about whether it will or won’t go. It was awful of course but it’s best to prepare for the possibility. I got a couple of lovely wigs today and scarves and I went out tonight with one of the scarves on without so much as a glance from anyone. Good luck, I hear it does work for some but unfortunately not for me. I just think if it’s doing that to my hair which will grow back, it’s killing the evil cancer which won’t.
Cecelia. x
I tried the cold cap for my first FEC but have lost quite a lot of hair anyway so I haven’t continued with it. My oncologist was happy for me to try it and did not suggest there may be any implications about brain mets.
Good luck
Anne
Dear Malan
I hope it went well for you today, let us know how you are getting along
Cecelia. x