Scalp Cooling Treatment is now available at Sanford Bismarck
Contact:
Chelsey Kralicek
Sanford Health Media Relations
701-516-4903 / Chelsey.Kralicek@SanfordHealth.org
BISMARCK, N.D. – Chemotherapy-induced hair loss is widely recognized as the most feared side effect associated with some cancer treatments. It is often the first question that people ask when they learn they will require chemotherapy, “Will I lose my hair?” Many patients rank hair loss as the most feared and traumatic side effect of their cancer treatment, it can lead to social isolation and the psychological effect is high often having a dramatic impact on self-esteem.
Paxman Scalp Cooling empowers patients to feel a greater sense of control. That is why, here at the Sanford Cancer Center, we are delighted to offer the option of this treatment – also known as ‘cold cap’ – to help reduce hair loss for patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment. “Cancer treatments can have a devastating impact on patients. We wanted to do more for our patients to provide hope and comfort during their journey. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the Sanford Health Foundation was able to fund the Paxman Scalp Cooling Cap, offering a way to help patients preserve their sense of self,” stated Sara Haugen, Vice President, Sanford Health Foundation.
Scalp cooling works by limiting the damage to your hair follicles caused by chemotherapy drugs administered during cancer treatment. Scalp cooling is the only clinically proven method to manage hair loss during chemotherapy through both hair retention and then later, faster hair regrowth for patients going through cancer treatment. The treatment is safe and relatively easy to tolerate. The most common side effect is a minor headache caused by the cooling. Research shows that scalp cooling does not affect cancer treatment and for patients, this means the opportunity to regain some control, maintain normalcy and privacy, and encourage a positive attitude toward their illness and treatment.
The success rate for Scalp Cooling is up to 70% for some chemotherapy regimens. It is lower for other regimens, but there is evidence[1] that scalp cooling encourages faster, healthier and stronger regrowth than would occur without scalp cooling. “One of the big reasons I want to save my hair is so that my teenage daughter does not have to see my sickness. I also meet with middle schoolers and high schoolers daily for my job and I want them to continue to see me for who I am and don’t want them to be reminded of past traumas,” said Debbie, a patient currently undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer.
Trisha James, RN, Sanford Oncology says, “Body image is a real struggle not only for the patient, but also for their family and friends. I am so excited to see the good that comes from being able to offer Paxman to patients. We are hoping to help them take back some control, to change how they feel when looking in the mirror, and to help their family and friends with a little bit more normalcy when cancer has tried to take everything away.”
Sanford has two Paxman Scalp Cooling machines available. Patients are provided with a cap kit before they begin treatment and the kit contains everything they need to scalp cool. Financial assistance may be available as this is not covered by insurance.
The Sanford Bismarck region provides health care to central and western North Dakota, eastern Montana and northern South Dakota. It includes 26 clinics in Bismarck, Mandan, Minot, Dickinson, Williston and Watford City, as well as a Level II trauma center located in Bismarck.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization serves 2.4 million patients and more than 425,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes 56 hospitals, more than 270 clinic locations, 144 senior care communities, 4,500 physicians and advanced practice providers, nearly 1,000 active clinical trials and studies, and nine world clinic locations around the globe. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
About Paxman
Paxman is a world leader in side effect management of chemotherapy, and works towards the vision of changing the view of cancer through cryotherapy-based treatments. Paxman’s mission is to make access to scalp cooling available globally. For over a quarter of a century, Paxman has pioneered technology to combat the most traumatic side effect of cancer treatment, chemotherapy-induced hair loss.
The world-leading Paxman Scalp Cooling System provides a much-needed solution to one of the most feared side-effects of cancer treatment – chemotherapy-induced alopecia.
The Paxman Scalp Cooling System is the world-leading and only clinically proven method to reduce chemotherapy-induced alopecia and ensure faster hair regrowth. Over 100,000 patients in 65 countries have used it.
Scalp cooling is a pioneering technology designed to help maintain the quality of life for cancer patients facing chemotherapy-induced alopecia. The novel treatment provides cancer patients with the only real alternative to this devastating side effect, which can often be an unwanted reminder of their disease and can compromise their self-image.
The simple treatment involves patients wearing a ‘cold cap’ which works by reducing the temperature of the scalp by a few degrees immediately before, during and after the administration of chemotherapy. The four mechanisms of scalp cooling to reduce the cytotoxicity of chemotherapy drugs are vasoconstriction, reduced drug uptake, reduced metabolic activity, and reduced rate of hair follicle cell division.
A cancer diagnosis is only the first step in a long and often arduous battle for many patients. Treatments – radiation, chemotherapy, surgeries of varying severity – place an enormous burden on every patient’s body but the weight of cancer treatment also is a massive emotional and psychological burden. The changes in a patient’s physical presentation of cancer, especially chemotherapy-induced alopecia (hair loss), can damage the person’s sense of self and humanity, adding significantly to the emotional strain of the cancer treatment itself. In fact, studies have indicated that ten percent of cancer patients will refuse chemotherapy, or request a less efficacious treatment because they are likely to lose a significant proportion of their hair, a highly visible signal to the outside world that patients are undergoing cancer treatment.
Indication
Paxman Scalp Cooling System is indicated to reduce the likelihood of chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) in cancer patients with solid tumors such as ovarian, breast, colorectal and prostate cancer.
[1] Efficacy of Scalp Cooling in Preventing and Recovering from chemotherapy-induced alopecia in breast Cancer patients: The HOPE Study
Takayuki Kinoshita, Takahiro Nakayama, Eisuke Fukuma, Masafumi Inokuchi, Hiroshi Ishiguro, Etsuyo Ogo, Mari Ikuchi, Hiromitsu Jinno, Naoya Yamazaki and Masakazu Toi
Frontiers in Oncology: Volume 9|Article 733|August 2019
https://coldcap.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Paxman-References-2020cc.pdf
