Scalp cooling in breast cancer patients treated with docetaxel-cyclophosphamide: patient- and nurse-reported results

Purpose Recent evidence supports the efficacy of scalp cooling in preventing chemotherapy-induced alopecia in breast cancer treatments. However, efficacy largely varies between treatment regimens. The aim of this study was to explore the patient- and nurse-reported results of scalp cooling in terms of hair loss and need for a wig/head cover in patients with breast cancer treated with 3-weekly docetaxel 75 mg/m(2)- cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m(2). Methods We studied nurse-reported efficacy as noted in the electronic patient files of 85 patients treated with docetaxel 75 mg/m(2)- cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m(2) between 1/1/2017 and 1/1/2020. Sixty-nine of them also self-reported on their scalp cooling results up to one year after adjuvant chemotherapy in a retrospective way. Results Nurse- and patient-reported data showed that scalp cooling was successful (i.e., hair loss < 50%) in 47.1 and 44.9% of patients, respectively, and 55% of patients were (very) satisfied with the result of scalp cooling. Scalp cooling was perceived as (very) uncomfortable in 36.2% of patients. Regarding hair status one year after treatment, 47 patients (55.3%) reported no changes compared to their hair status before treatment. Conclusions Scalp cooling is successful in preventing severe chemotherapy-induced alopecia in almost half of the patients with breast cancer treated with docetaxel 75 mg/m(2)- cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m(2). Better understanding of the success rate of scalp cooling enables correct patient information and decision-making support.

Automated summary

Scalp cooling is successful in preventing severe chemotherapy-induced alopecia in almost half of the patients with breast cancer treated with docetaxel 75 mg/m(2)- cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m(2). Both patient- and nurse-reported data showed a variation in the efficacy of scalp cooling, with 55% of patients being (very) satisfied with the results.