Cap provides cold comfort for patients
Reporter: MARINA BERRY
Date published: 09 December 2009
THE fear of losing their hair through chemotherapy could soon be a thing of the past for local breast cancer patients.
For the Royal Oldham Hospital is offering a new treatment to cut the amount of hair lost as a result of the drugs.
Cold cap treatment works on the principle of lowering the temperature of the scalp, and consequently the blood flow.
The lower temperature cuts the amount of drug which reaches the hair follicles, meaning hair is less likely to die off and fall out.
A tube leads from the cold cap to a coolant machine to keep it at a constant temperature of minus 6C.
The cap is worn for around 30 minutes before treatment begins, and kept on for two hours after.
Carried out at the Victoria Breast Unit, the treatment will be offered to around 100 breast cancer patients from Oldham and Rochdale each year.
Chemotherapy staff nurse Jane Lees, the first to use the new equipment for a patient, said: “This is a major thing for women battling with breast cancer.
“We have known patients in the past refuse to have chemotherapy treatment because of the fear of losing their hair. It’s great that we can offer this service.”
Lindsey Newton, chemotherapy clinical nurse specialist at the hospital, added: “The treatment doesn’t hurt at all, although obviously the patients feel cold.
“To combat this, hospital volunteers help us out by bringing patients hot drinks and blankets, as well as company during the treatment sessions.”
One of the first people to use the cold cap was Agnes Pimblott, from Failsworth.
She said: “The thought of losing my hair was devastating, so when the consultant told me about the cold cap treatment I jumped at it.
“It is only uncomfortable for the first 10 minutes then you don’t even realise you have it on.
“I have come to the end of my chemotherapy treatment and my hair has only thinned slightly, which is fantastic.
“It has helped me deal with my cancer a lot better and I would recommend the cold cap treatment to anyone as it made a great difference to me.”
