Physical Wellness

Cooling Cap to Avoid Hair Loss during Chemotherapy Approved By FDA

By Jenn Loro | Update Date: Dec 17, 2015 09:28 AM EST

Despite recent advancements in medical science, chemotherapy remains one of the default cancer treatments for many patients. But chemotherapy comes at a great price. Hair loss happens to be one of its most dreaded side effects.

To avert hair fallout among breast cancer patients, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the marketing of the cooling cap- the first of its kind in the country according to Washington Post.

"We are pleased to see a product for breast cancer patients that can minimize chemotherapy-induced hair loss and contribute to the quality of life of these individuals," remarked William Maisel of the Office of Device Evaluation in the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health as quoted saying by Pharmaceutical Journal.

The cooling cap or the Dignitana DigniCap Cooling System was a breakthrough technology developed by Dignitana- a med tech firm based in Sweden.

The Examiner described the cooling cap as a digital-controlled system that allows the circulation of cooled liquid on the patient's head and triggers the constriction of blood vessels in the scalp area to prevent or, at least minimize, the impact of chemotherapy on the person's hair follicles.

Although cooling cap is relatively new in the US, the system has been widely approved for medical use in other countries.

The introduction of this innovative technology brings renewed hope among breast cancer patients who are a feeling a sense of exclusion from mainstream society due to an unwanted hair loss.

"This FDA clearance means that for many cancer patients in the U.S., chemo-induced hair loss will no longer be a distressing concern," told Dr. Hope Rugo, breast oncology director at the University of California San Francisco as mentioned in an article by UPI.

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