Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37067605›Full record

Observational studySupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2023

Minimal added value of wetting hair before scalp cooling to prevent chemotherapy-induced alopecia in cancer patients - results from the Dutch Scalp Cooling Registry.

Robin E Heibloem, Manon M C Komen, Onaedo U C Ilozumba, Corina J G van den Hurk

Open access · greenAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 19% 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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Observational
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

4 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Robin E HeibloemDepartment of Health Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, HV 1081, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Manon M C KomenDepartment of Oncology Research, Northwest Clinics Alkmaar, PO Box 501, AM 1800, Alkmaar, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7339-7366
Onaedo U C IlozumbaInstitute of Applied Health Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4951-9631
Corina J G van den HurkComprehensive Cancer Organisation the Netherlands, PO Box 19079, DB 3501, Utrecht, The Netherlands. c.vandenhurk@iknl.nl.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7802-1034
Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation · NLUniversity of Birmingham · GBVrije Universiteit Amsterdam · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposePreventing chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) is related to the degree of temperature reduction during scalp cooling. Wetting hair before scalp cooling reduces the scalp skin temperature. This observational study investigated the effects of wetting hair before scalp cooling on preventing CIA and on tolerance in cancer patients.

methodsThis Dutch multi-center cohort study comprised 1825 patients receiving ≥1 cycle of docetaxel (D), 5-fluorouracil-epirubicin-cyclophosphamide (FEC), 5-fluorouracil-epirubicin-cyclophosphamide-docetaxel (FECD), paclitaxel (P), or paclitaxel-carboplatin (PC). Patients underwent scalp cooling with wet or dry hair. Primary and secondary outcomes were the effects of wetting hair on head cover use and tolerance, respectively.

resultsNone of the associations between wetting hair and head cover use in patients on D, FEC, P, or PC was significant; however, results all tended to be in favor of wetting hair. For FECD, univariate (p=0.005; OR=1.6; CI=1.1-2.1) and multivariable associations (p=0.007; OR=1.8; CI=1.2-2.6) were significant. Scalp cooling discontinuation due to intolerance differed significantly between groups that wetted hair or not (3% and 1% respectively; p=0.034).

conclusionIn a large patient group with mainly a European hair type and a high hair mass, no convincing evidence was found whether wetting hair prior to scalp cooling contributes to better prevention of CIA. Since it is argued that a higher reduction in scalp skin temperature by wetting hair contributes positively to scalp cooling efficacy, only a randomized controlled trial can provide an ultimate conclusion at the highest level of evidence. Until that time, healthcare professionals have to take into account that wetting hair may introduce lower compliance to the scalp cooling procedure.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic AgentsBreast NeoplasmsHypothermia, InducedNeoplasmsAlopeciaAntineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsCohort StudiesCyclophosphamideDocetaxelEpirubicinFemaleFluorouracilHairHumansPaclitaxelRegistriesAntineoplastic AgentsCyclophosphamideDocetaxelEpirubicinFluorouracilPaclitaxelAlopeciaChemotherapyHair preservationScalp coolingToleranceWetting hair

Identifiers

PMID37067605
OpenAlexW4366082892

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.