Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38839667›Full record

Trial reportSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2024

Effectiveness of increasing the scalp cooling duration to prevent alopecia during adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: a randomized pilot study.

Edith Carton, Anne Mercier Blas, Clément Perret, Marcelle Le Bihan

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. 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
  4. Cancer-related alopecia and wig acquisition: how age, sex, and treatment affect patient choices.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Article
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.

Edith CartonCHP Saint Grégoire, ICRB, Oncologie-Radiothérapie - boulevard de la Boutière, 35760, Saint Grégoire, France.
Anne Mercier BlasCHP Saint Grégoire, ICRB, Oncologie-Radiothérapie - boulevard de la Boutière, 35760, Saint Grégoire, France.
Clément PerretCHP Saint Grégoire, ICRB, Oncologie-Radiothérapie - boulevard de la Boutière, 35760, Saint Grégoire, France.
Marcelle Le BihanDirection des Soins Territoire Bretagne, Vivalto Santé, 9 boulevard de la Boutière, 35760, Saint Grégoire, France. mlebihan@vivalto-sante.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeAlopecia is a common side-effect of chemotherapy and can be extremely distressing to patients. Scalp cooling can be used to reduce hair loss, but the optimal duration of cooling remains unclear. Our aim was to determine whether increasing the duration of scalp cooling improves hair preservation.

methodsPatients with HER2-negative, non-metastatic, breast cancer received scalp cooling during adjuvant chemotherapy: three cycles of epirubicin/cyclophosphamide (EC) followed by three cycles of paclitaxel. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups. Group A (n=18) wore a Paxman cooling cap during each infusion and for 30 min post-infusion while Group B (n=19) wore the cap from 30 min before to 2 h after each infusion. All patients were asked to complete a questionnaire recording hair loss/regrowth, adverse events, and quality of life. Success of treatment was defined as <50% hair loss.

resultsThe success rates after each of the three cycles did not differ significantly between the two groups (EC: Group A: 40%, Group B: 44%; paclitaxel: Group A: 50%, Group B: 36%; p>0.05). Hair regrowth was significantly higher in Group B at the 8-week follow-up, but not at the 6-month follow-up. Head discomfort affected more patients in Group B than in Group A during the first session (94% vs. 62%, respectively; p=0.039).

conclusionLong duration scalp cooling during chemotherapy might increase patients' discomfort and does not appear to improve hair preservation.

Indexed as

AlopeciaAntineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsBreast NeoplasmsCyclophosphamideEpirubicinPaclitaxelQuality of LifeScalpAdultAgedChemotherapy, AdjuvantFemaleHumansHypothermia, InducedMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsCyclophosphamideEpirubicinPaclitaxelAlopeciaBreast cancerChemotherapyHair preservationScalp coolingSide-effects

Identifiers

PMID38839667
PMCPMC11153286

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Registered trials

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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.