European journal of oncology nursing : the official journal of European Oncology Nursing Society
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
A multicentre study to determine the efficacy and patient acceptability of the Paxman Scalp Cooler to prevent hair loss in patients receiving chemotherapy.
Alopecia is a distressing and common side-effect of chemotherapy, especially anthracycline- and taxane-containing regimen. A series of studies and reviews have considered scalp cooling as a means of reducing this side-effect without a definitive result. The aim of the study was to determine the efficacy and patient acceptability of scalp cooling using the Paxman Scalp Cooler. ⋯ Use of the Paxman Scalp Cooler was adjudged a success for 89% of all patients using the WHO grading system for alopecia and for 87% of patients being specifically administered the commonly used 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (FEC) regimen. When asked about degrees of comfort during the scalp-cooling process, 85% of patients described it as very comfortable, reasonably comfortable or comfortable, with only 15% of patients reporting a description of uncomfortable or very uncomfortable. Scalp cooling using the Paxman Scalp Cooler was found to be an effective technique with minimal side-effects for patients treated with commonly prescribed alopecia-inducing chemotherapy drugs.