Chemotherapy: Scalp Cooling

Transcription

1 Chemotherapy: Scalp Cooling Patient Information

2 Introduction This leaflet provides information to patients who are considering having scalp cooling treatment whilst receiving chemotherapy. This leaflet does not replace the discussion between you and your medical team; it is a guide to be used together with what is discussed. What is scalp cooling? Scalp cooling is a way of reducing the amount of hair lost during some chemotherapy treatment. Remember not all types of chemotherapy will cause hair loss, and scalp cooling is not appropriate for use with all types of cancers or all chemotherapy drugs At the moment scalp cooling is the only known method of reducing hair loss during chemotherapy treatment. How does scalp cooling help? Some anti-cancer drugs affect the hair cells and make hair fall out. Scalp cooling works by cooling the scalp so much that the blood supply to the hair cells is reduced, and the activity in the cells is slower. These two effects together mean that less chemotherapy reaches the hair cells. When less chemotherapy reaches these cells much less hair will fall out. Who can have scalp cooling? There are lots of types of chemotherapy drugs. Scalp cooling will only work for patients having a few types of these. For scalp cooling to work, the chemotherapy drug(s) you are receiving must leave the body quickly (have a short half life ). The nurses in your chemotherapy unit will be able to tell you if scalp cooling could work for you. What does scalp cooling involve? Your scalp needs to be cooled from its normal temperature of 36 0 c to below 24 0 c. The way we do this is to place a cap attached to a cooling machine onto your head normally 30 minutes before your chemotherapy is given to you. It will stay on while the drugs are being given to you and for some time after the treatment has finished. The length of time the cap has to stay on after the treatment has finished will depend on your chemotherapy drug(s). The time ranges from between 1 and 5 hours. The average time is between 1 1 / 2 and 2 1 / 2 hours. 1

3 What will scalp cooling feel like? To start with scalp cooling feels very cold and some say uncomfortable. This feeling does not last for long. After a few minutes the feeling reduces to being tolerable, and for most, manageable. Scalp cooling can be stopped at any time if you want it to, though once discontinued it will not be possible to restart scalp cooling at a later date as in order for the scalp cooling to be effective, it needs to be worn before, during and after every chemotherapy treatment. Will scalp cooling work? How well scalp cooling works for you will depend on things such as the thickness and length of your hair and the type of drug(s) you are having. Generally speaking scalp cooling works well. However, most patients experience some slight thinning of their hair. A few patients experience significant, or sometimes, complete hair loss and consider wearing a wig. What are the risks? A very small number of patients who have scalp cooling can develop a secondary cancer in the scalp. This is because the chemotherapy will work less effectively in the area being cooled. To reduce the risk of this, scalp cooling is not offered to patients with haematological cancers (for example leukaemia or lymphoma). Scalp cooling will not affect the treatment to the cancer cells in the rest of your body. What happens before scalp cooling begins? A low PH balanced hair conditioner is applied to your hair. You may want to 2

4 bring your own conditioner; one that you know will suit your hair. A fragranced free conditioner is advisable as some patients find the smell of heavily perfumed conditioners quite sickly. The cooling cap comes in three sizes to ensure a good fit. The cooling cap is placed on the head about 30 minutes before chemotherapy is given and attached to the cooling machine. The machine cools the scalp then maintains an even temperature. Your ears are protected from the cold by gauze swabs if necessary. After care following scalp cooling When the cool cap is removed your hair may be damp. There are no facilities at the hospital to dry or style your hair. We recommend that you bring a headscarf or hat with you, to wear home to keep your head warm. When selecting your head scarf or hat, please be aware that there will be some hair conditioner left on your hair and it is recommended that you leave this on for at least 24 hours. Treat your hair as gently as possible whilst on chemotherapy and use a PH balanced shampoo and conditioner; preferably unperfumed. You should also avoid heated appliances e.g. hair dryers, curling tongs and straightening irons, and use minimal hair styling products. Hair colourant products should not be used throughout scalp cooling and for at least 6 weeks following completion of treatment. After 6 weeks, as long as your hair is in good condition and your scalp is not itchy or sore, you can ask your hairdresser for advice on natural products such as henna or vegetablebased colourants. It is best to try any colourant on a small, hidden area of hair first to make sure that it will not damage your hair. 3

5 Local support groups Please visit on our website for details of local support groups: Local sources of further information You can visit any of the health/cancer information centres listed below: Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust Health Information Centre Birmingham Heartlands Hospital Bordesley Green Birmingham B9 5SS Telephone: Cancer Information and Support Centre Good Hope Hospital Rectory Road Sutton Coldfield B75 7RR Telephone: Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust The Courtyard Centre Sandwell General Hospital (Main Reception) Lyndon West Bromwich B71 4HJ Telephone: Fax: University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust The Patrick Room Cancer Centre Queen Elizabeth Hospital Edgbaston Birmingham B15 2TH Telephone: /39 Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust Information and Support Services Walsall Palliative Care Centre Goscote Lane Walsall WS3 1SJ Telephone:

6 About this information This guide is provided for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Every effort is taken to ensure that this information is accurate and consistent with current knowledge and practice at the time of publication. We are constantly striving to improve the quality of our information. If you have a suggestion about how this information can be improved, please contact us via our website: This information was produced by Pan Birmingham Cancer Network and was written by Consultant Surgeons, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Allied Health Professionals, Patients and Carers from the following Trusts: Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust We acknowledge the support of Macmillan in producing this information. Pan Birmingham Cancer Network 2011 Publication Date: November 2011 Review Date: November