Hope to stay hair despite chemo

Doctors of the Hanover Medical School have presented a procedure for reducing hair loss in cancer patients during chemotherapy.

Image: Henrie / fotolia

Many breast cancer patients suffer from hair loss after chemotherapy. The Clinic for Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Hannover Medical School (MHH) is testing a treatment concept that can significantly reduce hair loss. It relies on sensor-controlled cooling of the scalp during intravenous chemotherapy.

The principle of scalp cooling to prevent hair loss is not new. An essential part of the therapy concept is a silicone cap, which the patient wears during the intravenous administration of chemotherapy. With the aid of this cap, the scalp is cooled to three to five degrees Celsius uniformly, constantly and comprehensively by sensors. The cold constricts the local blood vessels and the metabolism is shut down. As a result, the drug is not absorbed so well locally and can not work in full. So the hair roots are spared. Hair loss can not be completely prevented, but significantly less hair is lost. (Pm)