Hair loss is among the unlucky unintended effects of most cancers remedy.
But the most cancers remedy service at Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock has embraced a technology to scale back seen hair loss for chemotherapy sufferers.
Emanuel Cancer Center celebrated the launch of a scalp cooling system, referred to as DigniCap, at a particular occasion Friday attended by hospital leaders, staff and members of the Bill and Elsie Ahlem Cancer Endowment. The Ahlem Endowment wished to deliver the choice to sufferers on the Emanuel Cancer Center on East Tuolumne Road.
Christie Marriott, who used the system throughout her most cancers therapies, stated she didn’t want to deal with the feelings of hair loss as she battled most cancers.
“I did not lose my hair,” Marriott stated. “I did experience thinning of the eyebrows. My nasal hairs were gone, but I did not lose the hair on my scalp. … I am so thrilled this is here for (Emanuel patients).”
As knowledgeable within the banking trade, Marriott stated, it was necessary for her to take care of a wholesome look throughout her remedy.
Dr. Murali Naidu, chief government officer of Emanuel Medical Center, stated 65% of most cancers sufferers expertise hair loss brought on by remedy processes. Hair loss is sort of a certainty with sure most cancers therapies.
Naidu stated that cooling the scalp earlier than chemotherapy has been proven in research to scale back alopecia, or hair loss, by greater than 65%.
The DigniCap system consists of a computerized cooling unit, hooked up to a cap that matches over the affected person’s head. The scalp cooling system is managed via a touchscreen show.
The system regulates the temperature of coolant that circulates via the channels within the cooling cap.
According to the Emanuel Cancer Center, the cooler temperature leads to much less blood stream to the scalp, so the hair cells are uncovered to much less chemotherapy. As a consequence, the affected person’s hair is extra more likely to survive the most cancers remedy.
The FDA accepted the DigniCap system for girls with breast most cancers seven years in the past. A second approval in 2017 authorized the system for individuals with stable tumors.
The Bill and Elsie Ahlem Cancer Endowment approached the hospital’s management in regards to the system.
Krista Deans, a spokeswoman for Emanuel Medical Center, stated the Endowment is protecting the rental price for the scalp-cooling tools. She stated the cooling caps worn by sufferers are bought by the Ahlem Endowment. There is not any price to the affected person.
Jim Ahlem, spokesperson for the endowment, stated at Friday’s occasion the group thought of all the ladies with breast most cancers who’ve handled the extra stress of dropping their hair.
“It just adds more layers of stress on top of it,” Ahlem stated. “Anything we can do to prevent that, we felt was worthwhile.”
