Hospitals that allow cold capping

MarieTherese

Hospitals that allow cold capping

MarieTherese

Hi All

The hospitals in my area do not allow cold caps. I called another one that was listed on Rapunzelproject and was still told no. 

Anyone know of hospitals in the New York, New England area that allow it? Any hospitals have cold capping services? Has anyone traveled for treatment? 

Any input would be helpful. It seems like so many people have had success with this. Not sure why more hospitals are not doing it. 

MT

MusicLover

Weill Cornell in NYC does, I think they were the first to implement it. Best wishes to you.

MarieTherese

I was thinking of going to New  York. Not that far from me. Do they have a freezer? 

MT

jc254

There are not many hospitals that have freezers for cold capping. Most of us who saved our hair with cold caps have pretty much done it on our own using coolers with dry ice. I've heard of very few hospitals that don't "allow" cold caps, but many individual doctors who discourage their use. Usually it's because they actually know very little about cold capping and cling to outdated beliefs about its effectiveness and/or safety. I was treated at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, an NCI designated cancer center. While they don't provide coolers or cold capping services, they are very receptive to cold cap use. Please join us on the cold cap thread "Cold cap users past and present". I'm sure you'll find cold cap users in your area there who can steer you in the right direction.

MarieTherese

Will do thanks- see you over there

MT

MusicLover

I suggest that you call Weill Cornell and find out the details. I think that they supply everything that you need.

NYinshocked

MarieTherese, I was treated at Weill Cornell in NYC. I went there mainly because they supports cold cap and has a freezer. Let me know if you have any question

MarieTherese

thanks for the reply- I thought that they were on the list of hospitals that allowed it. It's a shame there are not more

MT

Suladog

Here are the places that have cold cap freezers in the US:

Cold caps can be used at any location with the dry ice method. However a biomedical freezer is of benefit to both patients and infusion centers. It saves patients/helpers the cost and effort of acquiring and handling dry ice, keeps all caps uniformly cold, and minimizes the number of helpers needed by the patient. Of note, both methods work equally well.

The cold cap process requires any freezer that can maintain a temperature of -30°C (-22°F). (Note that each cap has to be stored in its own box to ensure uniform temperature throughout.). Specifications for the freezer that The Rapunzel Project generally donates are as follow:

Model Number 34-09CCF, white chest style freezer

42" long x 24" deep x 35" high

140 pounds (210 pounds crated), on casters

Holds 28 cold caps in individual storage boxes (2 patients/day)Freezes to -34°C

8 amps, 115 volts

Quiet operation

Thermostatically controlled.

Lid lock with two keys provided

For a picture of this freezer, click here.

If your infusion center is interested in acquiring a donated biomedical freezer to support your cold cap users, please click herefor further information.

Freezer Locations

(alphabetically by state)

The following list identifies locations with freezers available for cold cap users. Alternately in a few cases a PCHS is specifically noted. The PCHS is a new machine that uses a single cold cap to save the hair. It works in a similar way to the classic cold caps. Machines will become available at more locations in the future.

• Beverly Hills Cancer Center – Beverly Hills, CA
• Tower Oncology (Cedars Sinai) – Beverly Hills, CA (3)
• East Valley Oncology and Hematology (Disney Family Cancer Center) – Burbank, CA
• UCLA Burbank Hematology Oncology – Burbank, CA
• Hematology Oncology Medical Group – Encino, CA
• Virginia K. Crosson Cancer Center, St. Joseph Heritage Healthcare – Fullerton, CA
• UCLA Laguna Hills Hematology/Oncology – Laguna Hills, CA
• UCLA Hematology Oncology (100 UCLA Medical Plaza) – Los Angeles, CA
• Chao Family Cancer Center, UC Irvine – Orange, CA
• Valley Medical Oncology – Pleasanton, CA
• UCLA Porter Ranch – Porter Ranch, CA
• South Coast Gynecologic Oncology – San Diego, CA
• California Pacific Medical Center – San Francisco, CA
• UCSF Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center – San Francisco, CA
• Santa Monica Hematology-Oncology Consultants – Santa Monica, CA
• The Angeles Clinic – Santa Monica, CA (2)
• UCLA Hematology and Oncology – 2020 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA
• UCLA Hematology and Oncology-Parkside – 2336 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA
• Kaiser Permanente – San Rafael, CA
• Redwood Regional Medical Group – Santa Rosa, CA
• Los Robles Hospital – Thousand Oaks, CA
• UCLA Torrance Hematology/Oncology – Torrance, CA
• UCLA Oncology Santa Clarita – Valencia, CA
• Wellness Oncology & Hematology – West Hills, CA
• University of Colorado Cancer Center - Anschutz – Aurora, CO
• Norwalk Hospital – Norwalk, CT
• Hematology-Oncology Associates of Boca Raton – Boca Raton, FL
• Lynn Cancer Institute – Boca Raton, FL
• Morton Plant Hospital – Clearwater, FL
• Sylvester Cancer Center – Deerfield Beach, FL
• Broward Health Cancer Center – Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Emerald Coast Cancer Center – Fort Walton Beach, FL
• UF Health Hematology & Oncology – Gainesville, FL
• Memorial Breast Cancer Center – Hollywood, FL (2)
• Florida Cancer Specialists – Largo, FL
• Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center – Miami Beach, FL
• Florida Cancer Specialists – Naples, FL
• Memorial Breast Cancer Center – Pembroke Pines, FL
• South Miami Gynecologic Oncology Group – South Miami, FL
• Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center – Tallahassee, FL
• Tampa General Hospital – Tampa, FL
• Atlanta Hematology/Oncology – Atlanta, GA
• Peachtree Oncology-Hematology – Atlanta, GA
• Georgia Cancer Specialists (Northside Hospital) – Sandy Springs, GA
• Great River Hematology & Oncology – West Burlington, IA
• Swedish Covenant Hospital Cancer Center – Chicago, IL
• University of Chicago Medicine – Chicago (Hyde Park), IL
• Oncology Hematology Associates of Northern Illinois – Gurnee, IL
• Oncology Hematology Associates of Northern Illionois – Lindenhurst, IL
• Block Center for Integrative Medicine – Skokie, IL
• Memorial Regional Cancer Center – Mishawaka, IN
• Michiana Hematology Oncology – Westville, IN
• Kansas City Cancer Center – Shawnee Mission, KS
• University of Kansas Hospital Cancer Center – Westwood, KS
• Harbor Hospital – Harbor Cancer Center – Baltimore, MD
• Medical Oncology, Dr. Frederick Smith – Chevy Chase, MD (2)
• Maryland Oncology & Hematology – Columbia, MD
• Carroll Hospital Center – Westminster, MD
• Oakland Medical Group/Michigan Healthcare Professionals – Farmington Hills, MI
• Cancer Care Associates, Rose Cancer Center – Royal Oak, MI
• Hematology-Oncology Consultants, Rose Cancer Center – Royal Oak, MI
• Oakland Medical Group/Michigan Healthcare Professionals, Rose Cancer Center – Royal Oak, MI
• Hematology Oncology Consultants – Troy, MI
  
  ** PCHS – Botsford Hospital Medical Center – Farmington Hills, MI
  ** PCHS – Huron Medical Center – Port Huron, MI
• Mankato Clinic – Mankato, MN
• Minnesota Oncology/Abbott Northwestern Hospital – Minneapolis, MN
• Coborn Cancer Center – St. Cloud, MN
• Woodwinds Cancer Care Center – Woodbury, MN
• Bozeman Deaconess Cancer Center – Bozeman, MT
• Oncology/Hematology Specialists– Denville, NJ
• The Cancer Institute at Robert Wood Johnson, Hamilton – Hamilton, NJ
• St. Peter's Hospital, Women's Cancer Care Associates – Albany, NY
• Monter Cancer Center (NS/LIJ) – Lake Success, NY (2)
• Winthrop University Hospital Oncology/Hematology Infusion Center – Mineola, NY
• Beth Israel Cancer Center – New York, NY
• Columbia Medical Center at New York Presbyterian Hospital – New York, NY
• Dubin Breast Center at Mt. Sinai Hospital – New York, NY (2)
• Weill Cornell Breast Center at New York Presbyterian Hospital – New York, NY
• North Shore Hematology Oncology Associates – Patchogue, NY
• Cancer Specialist of Oklahoma – Oklahoma City, OK
• Lancaster Cancer Center – Lancaster, PA
• Alliance/Aria Health Cancer Center – 10800 Knights Road, Philadelphia, PA
• Magee Womens Hospital of UPMC – Pittsburgh, PA
• Alliance Cancer Specialists – Sellersville, PA
• Reading Hospital Cancer Center – West Reading, PA
• The Miriam Hospital – Providence, RI
• Vanderbilt Breast Center at One Hundred Oaks – Nashville, TN
• Methodist Hospital – Houston, TX
  
  ** PCHS – Texas Oncology, Austin, TX
• The START Center For Cancer Care – San Antonio, TX
• Southlake Oncology – Southlake, TX
• Utah Cancer Specialists – Murray, UT
• Virginia Cancer Specialists – Fairfax, VA
• Meredith & Jeannie Ray Cancer Center – Laramie, WY

octogirl

Sula, I just came across your list while browsing the boards, and wanted to thank you for sharing it. This is great and important information.

Before I started chemo, I went back and forth on the cold-cap-or-no decision, and while there were several factors that led me to decide not to do it the deciding factor was the fact that I lived sixty miles from my chemo location in an area where it isn't easy to even buy dry ice (one place in my town sometimes has it, places that reliably have it are about as far as the chemo...).

Of the locations on your list, the closest ones to me that are covered under the top tier under my insurance are in SF, a 2.5 hour drive when there is NO traffic, and a 3.5 hour drive on a typical workday morning. Even Pleasanton (and that location is not covered under my top tier) is almost a two hour drive in typical traffic, more on a bad day. Nothing at all listed in Central California, including even in Sacramento, the State Capital (someone should put the pressure on UC Davis if looking for new sites to expand to. UCD's Medical Center in Sacramento serves a large number of bc patients and a large geographic area of the northern Central Valley).

My hope is that as the word spreads about cold capping that folks pay attention to ways to make it more accessible and easier to use, especially for low income folks and for of us who don't live in the largest urban areas (it does not surprise me that the locations in California are mostly clustered around LA, SF, Orange County and San Diego.. ) BC patients have a lot on their plate already, and making it more feasible through something simple like providing freezer space, or this new PCHS machine, would help a lot.

Thanks again!

Octogirl