Seven HMHCancer Treatment Centers Now Offering Innovative Scalp Cooling Treatment to Prevent Hair Loss from Chemotherapy
What you need to know
Seven Hackensack Meridian Health cancer treatment centers are now using the innovative Paxman Scalp Cooling System to prevent or reduce hair loss in patients who are receiving chemotherapy.
The Paxman Scalp Cooling System is used by 271 cancer treatment centers in the U.S. and 19 cancer centers in New Jersey.
HMH Cancer Treatment Centers Offering Innovative Scalp Cooling Treatment
HMH Hospitals now offering this treatment includes:
- Hackensack University Medical Center
- Jersey Shore University Medical Center
- JFK Medical Center
- Ocean Medical Center
- Palisades Medical Center
- Riverview Medical Center
- Southern Ocean Medical Center
Hair loss during chemotherapy — also called chemotherapy-induced alopecia — is a common side effect that can have a negative emotional and psychological impact, resulting in depression, stress, loss of self-esteem and loss of privacy. Fear of hair loss can also cause some patients to reject chemotherapy treatment.
Chemotherapy works by targeting all rapidly dividing cells in the body. Hair is the second-fastest dividing cell, so hair follicles are susceptible to damage from chemotherapy drugs that results in hair loss.
More Information on Scalp Cooling Treatment
Scalp cooling is a simple treatment that has been proven to reduce the damage chemotherapy drugs cause to hair follicles. Lowering the temperature of the scalp before, during and after chemotherapy slows cell division in the hair and causes blood vessels in the scalp to narrow, reducing blood flow to the area around the hair follicles. As a result, smaller amounts of chemotherapy drugs are delivered to the hair follicles, which reduces hair loss.
Patients who choose to have scalp-cooling therapy wear the Paxman Scalp Cooling Cap for 30 minutes before chemotherapy infusion, during infusion, and for up to 90 minutes after infusion.