Digital Innovation in Oncological Primary Treatment for Well-Being of Patients: Psychological Caring as Prompt for Enhancing Quality of Life

One side-effect of oncological treatment is chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA), a temporary form of hair loss that could influence patients' mental health. Digitised scalp cooling systems are assuming an important role in the clinical setting during adjuvant treatment, promising hair loss prevention and allowing an efficient procedure to reinforce patients' mental health during chemotherapy by avoiding CIA. The present study was carried out through two research protocols: in Research Protocol 1, we conducted a randomised clinical study to evaluate the emotional impact of using scalp cooling technology in women with BC compared with a traditional chemotherapy setting; in Research Protocol 2, we conducted an observational pre-post study involving women with BC diagnosis being under adjuvant chemotherapy in two experimental conditions: no scalp cooling application and scalp cooling application. Seventy-four women undergoing chemotherapy, aged 30-55 years, were enrolled in both research protocols. We investigated oncological patients' psychological dimensions including body image, body appreciation, expectations, and satisfaction with the scalp cooling treatment, with reference to chemotherapy treatment applying the scalp cooling solution. Our data evidenced the need to implement a supportive clinical approach via brief, tailored psychological intervention addressing patients' progressive adaptation to chemotherapy adverse events and their concerns regarding induced alopecia and the value of the scalp cooling system. Patients receiving the innovative chemotherapy probably coped with it by neglecting its physical impact, instead focusing on avoiding alopecia by using the technological solution and neglecting the emotional impact of chemotherapy as a severe pharmacological treatment.

Automated summary

The digitised scalp cooling systems play an important role in preventing chemotherapy-induced alopecia and enhancing patients' mental health during chemotherapy. The study conducted two research protocols to investigate the emotional impact of using scalp cooling technology among oncological patients with breast cancer, as well as the effectiveness of scalp cooling in managing hair loss.