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Preventing chemotherapy‐induced alopecia in cancer patients: is scalp cooling worthwhile?

1987; Wiley; Volume: 12; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/j.1365-2648.1987.tb01336.x

1365-2648

Alison J. Tierney,

Cutaneous lymphoproliferative disorders research

Alopecia (hair loss) is often singled out as the most distressing side‐effect of cancer chemotherapy treatment. This paper provides a comprehensive and critical review of the research literature on scalp cooling, a procedure introduced to prevent chemotherapy‐induced alopecia. In spite of a considerable amount of research (both nursing and medical) over a 15‐year period, the evidence on scalp cooling is inconclusive. Although concerned with a specialist issue, this paper may interest the general reader as it illustrates the value of a literature review in raising questions about current practice and in identifying issues for future research.