Chemotherapy Induced Alopecia and Scalp cooling Methods: A review of literature

Abstract

Chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) is one of the side effects of chemotherapy that is the most traumatic aspect of treatment for more than half of the patients. CIA is associated with increased psychosocial stress regarding body image, self-esteem, and sexuality. It is estimated that 60-85% of individuals who received chemotherapy treatment for cancer experienced some degree of CIA. Various techniques have been used to prevent CIA, including scalp compression, scalp cooling, and medical treatments. Herein, we provide a review of scalp cooling methods, advantages and disadvantages, requirements, and related papers.

Keywords

• Cancer; Chemotherapy; Alopecia; Prevention