Hair loss could be a thing of the past for many cancer patients at Worcestershire Royal Infirmary.
An appeal has been launched to raise £40,000 to provide four extra cold cap machines for the hospital’s Rowan Suite.
Scalp cooling or “cold cap” machines are proven to combat chemotherapy-induced hair loss and can achieve high levels of hair retention or complete preservation.
One in two people will develop cancer during their lifetime. There are more than 200 types of cancer, each diagnosed and treated in a specific way. Systemic anticancer therapy is a drug given to cancer patients as part of their treatment. This includes chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and immunotherapy.
Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. Unfortunately, chemotherapy can also affect some normal cells and cause side effects such as hair loss.
Hair loss due to cancer treatment can affect people in many different ways and can have a significant impact on the well-being of patients whose world has already been changed. For many people, hair is a big part of their identity, and changes in appearance can increase anxiety and stress and affect self-confidence.
Scalp cooling works by lowering the temperature of the scalp and reducing the size of blood vessels that restrict blood flow. This means less anti-cancer drugs reach the hair follicles and cause damage.
To donate to the appeal, launched by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Charity, visit https://wahcharity.org/cancer-care-appeal.
