SCALP COOLING IN THE PREVENTION OF ALOPECIA IN PATIENTS RECEIVING DEPILATING CHEMOTHERAPY

To assess any difference in the incidence of alopecia during treatment and of skull metastases during follow-up among breast cancer patients undergoing scalp cooling during chemotherapy and those treated at amb ient temperatures. A series of 35 breast cancer patients receiving adj uvant chemotherapy were consecutively assigned either to a scalp cooli ng regimen (19 patients) or to an ambient temperature regimen (16 pati ents). Hypothermia was administered with electrically cooled caps (SCS II: Amit Technology, Jerusalem) for 30 min before, during, and for Ih after treatment. A significant difference (P=0.014) was detected in t he incidence of alopoecia: 48% (9 patients) of those who had undergone cooling suffered alopoecia, while 81% (13 patients) of the group who had not undergone cooling lost scalp hair. Patient comfort levels were high. Followup (median time 14 months) has disclosed no scalp metasta ses. The implementation of routine scalp hypothermia as part of adjuva nt chemotherapy treatment, especially in cancers without tendencies to bone metastases, should be seriously considered.