Cancer Care Appeal

1 in 2 people will develop cancer in their lifetime. And there are over 200 types of cancer, each diagnosed and treated in a particular way. 

Systemic anti-cancer therapies are the medicines that are given to cancer patients as part of their treatment. This includes chemotherapy, hormone therapy and immunotherapy. 

Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. Unfortunately, chemotherapy also affects some normal cells which can cause side effects, including hair loss. 

The use of scalp cooling or ‘cold caps’ is proven to be an effective way of combatting chemotherapy-induced hair loss and can result in a high level of retention or completely preserve the hair. 

What are the benefits of cold cap systems? 

Scalp cooling works by reducing the temperature of the scalp which reduces the size of the blood vessels restricting blood flow. This means that less of the cancer drugs can reach the hair follicles and cause damage. 

Refrigerated cold cap systems pump cold liquid through the cold cap using a machine. This enables a more stable and consistent temperature to be maintained. Though not all cancer patients are able to utilise scalp cooling, for those that can the cold cap systems are also more comfortable and less heavy to wear throughout treatment. 

These systems are “one size fits all” making it easier for staff to fit and ensuring the cap is moulded perfectly to an individual’s head shape, maximising its effectiveness. 

Hair loss from cancer treatment can affect people in different ways and can have a profound affect on a patient’s wellbeing, when their world has already been turned upside down. For many of us our hair is a big part of our identity and a change is our appearance can increase our anxiety and stress, make us feel uncomfortable around other people and affect our self-confidence. 

The Cancer Care Appeal aims to ensure that machines are available for every patient that wishes to use one.