The Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), Parel has started a clinical trial using technology to minimise hair loss due to chemotherapy.
The initiative, the first such in India, is expected to address the loss of self-esteem and confidence that many cancer patients, especially women, face and reduce cancer-related trauma.
The process uses a scalp cooling technique to restrict chemotherapy medication from reaching the scalp, thus reducing hair fall.
The machine has two scalp coolers, which are essentially specialised inner silicon caps containing coolants at temperatures of up to minus 4 degrees centigrade.
The technique is widely used in the U.K.
The machine circulates the coolant in the caps, reducing its temperature and consequently blood supply to the scalp.
As chemotherapy medication is given intravenously and circulated through the blood, the scalp gets less blood and thus less of the medication.
This reduces damage to hair follicles and preserves hair. But, experts say reduction in hair loss may vary from person to person.
Chemotherapy medication works best on fast-dividing cells.
Since cancer cells divide rapidly, the medicines attack those cells, but other cells like those in the blood, mucosal lining and hair follicles also come under attack.
This is why patients suffer from reduced blood count, mouth ulcers and hair loss during chemotherapy. But of all the side-effects, hair loss has the worst impact on women.
The most common side-effects of using scalp coolers are headache and cold.
