BRMC, OGH help cancer patients minimize hair loss during chemotherapy treatment

BRMC, OGH help cancer patients minimize hair loss during chemotherapy treatment

BRADFORD, PA / OLEAN, NY - People undergoing chemotherapy for cancer at Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) and Olean General Hospital (OGH), Kaleida Health facilities, can now keep control of their hair loss by using a ground-breaking scalp cooling treatment.

Developed by a British family who understand first-hand what it is like to lose hair due to cancer treatment, the Paxman Scalp Cooling System helps reduce hair loss throughout chemotherapy.

Scalp Cooling (also known as cold cap treatment) is the only clinically proven way to reduce chemotherapy's most feared side effect: hair loss and empowers patients to feel a greater sense of control during their cancer treatment. Scalp cooling not only helps to reduce hair loss but also protects the follicles, which helps hair to grow back faster.

BRMC and OGH are delighted to offer this treatment option for our patients and are amongst the first in the country to be able to bill a patient's insurance company directly, allowing more people to access scalp cooling as an important side effect management option, just like anti-sickness drugs and managing neuropathy and immune suppression.

Speaking about the impact of this treatment, Hasan Rizvi, MD, medical oncology, BRMC, OGH said, "When faced with the prospect of chemotherapy patients have a great deal of physical and psychological effects to deal with and to lose their hair is a major concern, for many resulting in a feeling of losing their identity. Scalp Cooling allows patients to take some control of a side effect which would otherwise be inevitable in some treatments."

For anyone who is new to scalp cooling or has not heard of it before https://coldcap.com/ is a website designed to support those considering and going through scalp cooling, with advice, guidance, and information to enable informed decision-making and ensure that the process is as easy as possible.

"We want to express an immense amount of gratitude to our local Kids and Cancer organization that introduced the idea of scalp cooling therapy and provided funding to start the program. Chemotherapy Induced Alopecia can negatively impact self-image and make an already overwhelming experience feel so much worse. Scalp cooling offers some hope, control, and normalcy to our patients," said David Monroe, chief administrative officer, BRMC.

Financial support from the Bradford Hospital Foundation and Olean General Hospital Foundation will also give local cancer care patients another option to cover any costs associated with the use of the cooling cap. Any costs for the scalp cooling treatment not covered by insurance for any local patient undergoing chemotherapy at BRMC or Barry Street Health Center in Olean will be covered to help provide resources throughout their cancer battle.

SO, WHAT IS SCALP COOLING?

Scalp cooling is a treatment that can help to reduce hair loss during chemotherapy and provides cancer patients with the only real alternative to this devastating side effect. It is widely recognized that chemotherapy-induced hair loss is one of the most traumatic side effects associated with cancer treatment and can have a significant emotional impact on many patients. It can be an unwanted reminder of their disease, can compromise their self-image, and many people would simply like to maintain their hair.

Chemotherapy works by targeting all rapidly dividing cells in the body. Hair is the second fastest dividing cell, and this is the reason why many chemotherapy drugs cause alopecia. The hair follicles in the growth phase are attacked, resulting in hair loss approximately two weeks after the commencement of the chemotherapy treatment.

The damage that chemotherapy causes to the hair follicle can be alleviated by using the scalp cooling treatment; also known as the 'cold cap.' It works by reducing the temperature of the scalp by a few degrees immediately before, during and after the administration of chemotherapy.

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