Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30206728›Full record

Trial reportSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2019

Prolonging the duration of post-infusion scalp cooling in the prevention of anthracycline-induced alopecia: a randomised trial in patients with breast cancer treated with adjuvant chemotherapy.

Manon M C Komen, Corina J G van den Hurk, Johan W R Nortier, Tjeerd van der Ploeg, P Nieboer, Jacobus J M van der Hoeven, Carolien H Smorenburg

Abstract readMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 20 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Comparative efficacy of interventions for preventing chemotherapy-induced alopecia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. The validity of over-the-counter skin, hair, and nail recommendations for adult patients with cancer: A systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024
    Pooled it
  3. The scalp cooling therapy for hair loss in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2021
    Pooled it
  4. Effectiveness of increasing the scalp cooling duration to prevent alopecia during adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: a randomized pilot study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024
    Trial
  5. Trial
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Scalp cooling therapy in chemotherapy-induced alopecia: addressing variability in cooling duration and efficacy.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Review
  9. Observational
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.

Manon M C KomenDepartment of Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology, Medical Centre Alkmaar, PO Box 501, AM, 1800, Alkmaar, The Netherlands. m.m.c.komen@nwz.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7339-7366
Corina J G van den HurkComprehensive Cancer Organisation the Netherlands, PO Box 19079, DB, 3501, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Johan W R NortierDepartment of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Centre, PO Box 9600, RC, 2300, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Tjeerd van der PloegBusiness, Finance and Law department, Inholland Alkmaar, PO Box 501, AM, 1800, Alkmaar, The Netherlands.
P NieboerDepartment of Medical Oncology, Wilhelmina Ziekenhuis Assen, Europaweg-Zuid 1, RK, 9401, Assen, The Netherlands.
Jacobus J M van der HoevenDepartment of Medical Oncology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, GA, 6525, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Carolien H SmorenburgDepartment of Medical Oncology, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Plesmanlaan 121, CX, 1066, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Inholland University of Applied Sciences · NLLeiden University Medical Center · NLMedisch Centrum Alkmaar · NLNetherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation · NLRadboud University Nijmegen · NLThe Netherlands Cancer Institute · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeScalp cooling as a method to reduce the incidence of chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) is increasingly used in daily practice worldwide. However, in patients treated with 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (FEC), scalp cooling fails in 48-67% of patients. This study investigated the efficacy of extended duration of post-infusion scalp cooling in breast cancer patients treated with this regimen.

methodsIn this prospective multi-centre randomised study, 102 patients with early breast cancer treated with adjuvant FEC chemotherapy were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to a post-infusion cooling time of 90 or 150 min. The primary endpoint was the need to wear a wig or other head covering to mask visible hair loss.

resultsSixteen out of 48 patients (33%) treated with 90 min of post-infusion cooling did not need any head covering, compared with 21 out of 46 patients (45%) treated with 150 min of post-infusion cooling (p = 0.2). WHO grades 2-3 (moderate-complete) alopecia were reported more often in patients treated with 90-min post-infusion cooling time (n = 25/51 (49%) versus n = 17/51 (33%); p = 0,02). Scalp cooling was well-tolerated (mean Visual Analogue Score 7.4) and only three patients (3%) stopped due to intolerance during treatment.

conclusionsExtending the duration of 90-min post-infusion scalp cooling to 150 min in patients treated with adjuvant FEC chemotherapy was well-tolerated but did not significantly diminish the need for head covering. However, grades 2-3 alopecia was seen less often with prolonged post-infusion scalp cooling.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAlopeciaAntineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsBreast NeoplasmsChemotherapy, AdjuvantCyclophosphamideEpirubicinFemaleFluorouracilHumansHypothermia, InducedInduction ChemotherapyMiddle AgedPalliative CareProspective StudiesCyclophosphamideEpirubicinFluorouracilTaxoidsAlopeciaBreast cancerChemotherapyFECHair lossScalp cooling

Identifiers

PMID30206728
OpenAlexW2889977508

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.