Cg428

Chemotherapy drugs attack rapidly growing cancer cells. As a drawback, chemotherapy also attacks other rapidly growing cells, such as hair follicle cells, hence causing hair loss. Hair loss intensity depends on the chemotherapy regimen administered. The following chemotherapy treatments are known for causing varying degrees of hair loss (1). Hair l... oss typically starts 1 to 3 weeks after chemotherapy begins. Hair could fall out very quickly or gradually and your scalp may feel tender. Hair loss will continue throughout the chemotherapy treatment until baldness, eventually. The pictures below represent the visual progression of hair pattern and macro pictures of the scalp, through and after chemotherapy (3). The typical course of hair loss, as shown in a patient in group C (chemotherapy), demonstrated by (a) global photography, (b) phototrichogram in the frontal area and (c) phototrichogram in the occipital area. tamoxifen in patients with breast cancer: a cohort study - British Journal of Dermatology (2014) 170, pp643650 More than 70% of patients who had breast cancer adjuvant chemotherapy with FEC Docetaxel treatment suffer from hair loss even more than two years after the treatment. In a survey conducted 32 months after chemotherapy (median value), 50 patients (53%) responded that hair volume decreased, and 63 patients (74%) responded that hair became thinner. Since generally 80% (6) of hair are in the growing phase (anagen phase), the hair regrowth process after chemotherapy hair loss may be a longer, resulting in persistent hair thinning and decreased hair volume. Hormonal therapy is used to treat breast cancers that are sensitive to hormones. It is intended to help reducing the risk of the breast cancer coming back after surgery, and also to treat cancer that has come back after treatment or has spread (10). Tamoxifen (Nolvadex, Soltamox) causes hair thinning in aproximately 15% of the cases (7, 8). Estrogen level reducers like aromatase inhibitors (anastrozole - Arimidex, exemestane - Aromasin, ...Read More