Dr. Lesley Clark-Loeser

Among more traditional cancer treatments, alkylating agents used for treating cancers including lymphoma and breast cancer commonly cause side effects including hair loss, says Lesley Clark-Loeser, M.D., a dermatologist in private practice at Minars Dermatology in Hollywood, Fla. Doxorubicin, the nitrosoureas and cyclophosphamide usually create the most severe hair loss, she adds.

"These agents seek out highly metabolic cells and prevent them from further multiplying.But just as cancer is highly metabolic, so are many of the structures of the skin," including the hair follicle, she explains.

The same can be said of the gastrointestinal tract's lining, a fact that accounts for the dry lips and mouth and tongue ulcerations afflicting many patients undergoing cancer treatment, Dr. Clark-Loeser adds.

Lesley Clark-Loeser, MD

, Lesley Clark-Loeser, MD - Voluntary Clinical Instructor of Dermatology