Scalp cooling for hair preservation and associated characteristics in 1411 chemotherapy patients - results of the Dutch Scalp Cooling Registry.
BACKGROUND
Chemotherapy-induced alopecia is a frequently occurring side effect of cancer treatment with a high psychological impact which can be prevented by scalp cooling. With this multi-centre patient series we estimated the results of scalp cooling for currently used chemotherapies to provide patient information and we identified characteristics associated with the results.


METHODS
The Dutch Scalp Cooling Registry collected data on scalp-cooled patients in 28 Dutch hospitals. Nurses and patients completed questionnaires on patients, chemotherapy and scalp cooling characteristics. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine associated characteristics of the scalp cooling result.


RESULTS
Overall, 50% of the 1411 scalp-cooled patients did not wear a head cover during their last chemotherapy session. Patients were satisfied with the results in 8% of cases after TAC chemotherapy and up to 95% after paclitaxel treatment. Besides type of chemotherapy, higher dose and shorter infusion time, older age, female gender and non-West-European type of hair significantly increased the proportion head cover use. Hair length, quantity, chemical manipulation (dyeing, waving, colouring), wetting hair before scalp cooling, and treatment with chemotherapy ever before did not influence the degree of head covering among patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Scalp cooling results as recorded in this open patient registry were positive for most regimens, justifying it's use by all eligible patients, except for those needing TAC. Lengthening infusion time may improve the results.
Eindhoven Cancer Registry/Comprehensive Cancer Centre South, Research Department, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. c.vd.hurk@ikz.nl
Corina J
CJ
van den Hurk
Mijke
M
Peerbooms
Lonneke V
LV
van de Poll-Franse
Johan W
JW
Nortier
Jan Willem W
JW
Coebergh
Wim P
WP
Breed
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000505:Alopecia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011379:Prognosis; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012535:Scalp; D055815:Young Adult
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents