HAIR loss is a distressing side-effect of cancer treatment and can even deter some patients from undergoing life-saving chemotherapy. But researchers at the University of Huddersfield are establishing the scientific basis for a rapidly-advancing scalp cooling technology that can ensure hair retention in a vast number of cases. There is also an added benefit that the increased positivity of patients who retain their hair can help to boost their immune systems and therefore aid recovery.
Experienced cancer researcher Dr. Nikolaos Georgopoulos heads the project with Omar Hussain. The research is funded by Paxman Coolers Ltd, which makes scalp coolers. The PhD project will build on the findings of the research team, who have conducted laboratory experiments which provide scientific backing for clinical evidence that scalp cooling can eliminate hair loss during chemotherapy in at least 50 per cent of cases.
The effectiveness of cooling
Progress has also been made in establishing why cooling works and the researchers have also explored its effectiveness and its limitations when different combinations of drugs are used during chemotherapy. Georgopoulos, Hussain and their collaborators are the first to have published scientific papers which demonstrate that cooling works. They include an article in the journal Toxicology in Vitro. Georgopoulos said that there was a range of explanations for the effectiveness of cooling. For example, the lowered temperature of the scalp could result in greatly reduced blood flow to the area, so that less of the drug finds its way to the hair follicles. It is also possible that cooling reduces the level of drug uptake in the region of the hair cells, or that the same effect is produced by a lowering of the metabolism.
Omar's PhD research will lead to a deeper understanding of the science behind cooling, focusing on the issues of drug uptake and drug release.
Happier patients have stronger immune systems
The authors say the benefits of scalp cooling technology can extend beyond the issue of hair loss. Figures have shown that eight percent of patients refuse chemotherapy because they fear losing their hair, said Omar Hussain. "So to have our research out there is a reassurance to them."
Clinicians tend to regard hair loss as "collateral damage" said eorgopoulos. "What they care about, of course, is saving lives. But we know the difference that keeping hair makes to patients and there is evidence that happier patients have stronger immune systems. Mood relates to hormonal release and that can affect the function of the immune system. Positivity can have an effect - there are scientific papers which suggest that it affects the efficacy of the treatment. So if you look in a mirror and feel good about yourself because you have a full head of hair, that is a big psychological boost that can help people through their treatment."
The researchers and Paxman now hope that scalp cooling will be embedded as a routine part of chemotherapy and that it will be an established element of nurse training.