Efficacy and Implementation Challenges of Scalp Cooling Systems in Preventing Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia (CIA) in Cancer Patients
Scalp Cooling System (SCS) is a non-invasive medical device used during chemotherapy to help prevent or reduce chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA), a distressing side effect of cancer treatment. The system operates by circulating a cooling agent through a cap worn on the patient's head, which achieves two primary effects: first, the vasoconstriction (narrowing of blood vessels) induced by the cold reduces blood flow to the hair follicles, thereby limiting the concentration of the circulating chemotherapeutic agent in the scalp tissue. Second, the cooling lowers the local metabolic rate of the hair follicle cells, making them less susceptible to the toxic effects of the chemotherapy drugs.
While the efficacy of SCS varies depending on the specific chemotherapy regimen (e.g., higher success with taxane-based drugs compared to anthracyclines) and individual patient factors like hair type, studies consistently…
