Cold cap not recommended for MBC????

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Flamin_nora
Flamin_nora Member Posts: 52
edited July 2018 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

hi ladies—-so met with onc to prepare for upcoming chemo (Taxol) protocol, (recently diagnosed with MBC—bones and liver)

When I said I wanted to use the Cool Cap (hair preservation) he said he did not recommend its use with metastatic disease. (Cancer cells might be anywhere)

Here in Quebec, the hair preservation/cool cap is not much useD so am wondering if that is influencing him

Would appreciate your thoughts. and knowledge on the subject (realize that the hair thing is absolutely not my priority, but the approach did not even really exist at time of my original diagnosis in 2009, along with some other complimentary approaches that would like to try this time around)

Much thank

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  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited July 2018

    Even people not diagnosed with MBC can have cancer cells anywhere. Unless he can point you to a study I would say no evidence. You should be able to do cold caps regardless.

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  • LoriCA
    LoriCA Member Posts: 923
    edited July 2018

    You got me curious because I never heard it before (I did not use a cold cap). Maybe this is what your MO is concerned about?

    "It's important to know that some doctors are concerned that the caps may prevent the chemotherapy medicine from reaching cancer cells that may be in the scalp. Many studies in Europe, where cold caps have been used since the 1970s, found that scalp cooling does not increase risk of scalp skin metastases, including a 2013 German study." https://www.breastcancer.org/tips/hair_skin_nails/...

    Maybe your MO isn't keeping up to date with research on the topic? As recently as 2013 the NCBI warned against it, but a study published in 2017 said it is low risk:

    "The incidence of scalp metastases was low regardless of scalp cooling. This analysis suggests that scalp cooling does not increase the incidence of scalp metastases." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC54102...



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  • Flamin_nora
    Flamin_nora Member Posts: 52
    edited July 2018

    thanks so much for the info---exactly what I was looking for. Have the feeling that the centre were I will be treated is not very "progressive", hence his reaction. (in Montréal, Québec)

    Will likely push back at him a bit---already had the "baldy" experience the first time around, if it really isn't necessary to loose all my hair, don't understand why I should have to.

    Of course, this is only the first step on a long up-hill battle---time for me to get over the crying and start humming a battle hymn

    If anyone else has any other info or opinions, would greatly appreciate hearing them

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