Effect of Scalp-Cooling Device on Hair Loss in Women Receiving Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer
Use of a scalp-cooling device appears to reduce hair loss by about 50% in about 50% of patients with stage I or II breast cancer, when patients are treated with taxane- or anthracycline-based chemotherapy. Results of the SCALP trial were published in JAMA and showed that hair was successfully preserved in 48 of 95 women in the cooling group vs 0 of 47 women in the control group. The study was stopped early by the data and safety monitoring board when the P value crossed the interim analysis superiority boundary. Results appeared to be better in patients treated with taxane-based regimens: hair preservation rates were 16% with anthracycline-based treatment vs 59% with taxane-based treatment.
