Abstract | PURPOSE:
Chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) is a distressing side effect for women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Scalp cooling is a method aiming to prevent CIA, but its efficacy is not well defined. Randomized trials until recently and at the time this trial was designed have been lacking. METHODS: Patients undergoing (neo) adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer (EBC) were randomized to scalp cooling (CAP) or observation (NoCAP). All patients received 18-24 weeks of anthracycline- and/or taxane-based chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was patient-reported rate of alopecia according to a modified version of the Dean Scale. Hair preservation was defined as hair loss ≤ grade 2 (≤ 50%). Secondary endpoints were rate of alopecia determined by medical staff, rate of wig/scarf use, tolerability as well as quality of life (QoL). RESULTS: Seventy-nine patients were randomized. Hair preservation was observed in 39.3% of patients in the CAP arm versus 0% in the NoCAP arm (p < 0.001). Wig/scarf use was significantly less frequent in the CAP group (40.7% vs 95.5% outside home before cycle 3, p < 0.001). The drop-out rate was 31.7% and 34.2% in the CAP and NoCAP arm, respectively. Main reasons for drop-out were hair loss, adverse events (CAP), and randomization into control arm. We observed no differences in efficacy between anthracycline-based and non- anthracycline-based regimens. QoL did not differ between the study arms. CONCLUSIONS: This trial adds to the evidence that scalp cooling effectively prevents CIA in a meaningful number of patients. This option should be made available for patients undergoing (neo) adjuvant chemotherapy for EBC.
|
Authors | Katharina Smetanay, Philippe Junio, Manuel Feißt, Julia Seitz, Jessica Cecile Hassel, Luisa Mayer, Lina Maria Matthies, Arina Schumann, André Hennigs, Jörg Heil, Christof Sohn, Dirk Jaeger, Andreas Schneeweiss, Frederik Marmé |
Journal | Breast cancer research and treatment
(Breast Cancer Res Treat)
Vol. 173
Issue 1
Pg. 135-143
(Jan 2019)
ISSN: 1573-7217 [Electronic] Netherlands |
PMID | 30255454
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)
|
Topics |
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Alopecia
(chemically induced, prevention & control)
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
(adverse effects, therapeutic use)
- Breast Neoplasms
(drug therapy)
- Female
- Hair
- Humans
- Hypothermia, Induced
(methods)
- Middle Aged
- Neoadjuvant Therapy
(adverse effects, methods)
- Prospective Studies
- Quality of Life
- Scalp
|