EXPERIENCE OF A PRIVATE HOSPITAL IN THE FEDERAL DISTRICT IN CRYOTHERAPY WITH A HYPOTHERMAL CAP FOR PATIENTS USING PACLITAXEL 80 MG/M² WEEKLY FOR 12 WEEKS

Abstract

Objective: Chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) has a major impact on oncological patients and is reported as one of the first concerns among women, being often a condition that causes suffering. CIA is an expected adverse event in paclitaxel, an agent widely used in the treatment of breast cancer. Strategies have been used to minimize this undesirable effect, including the scalp cooling. The objective of our study was to report the frequency of the preservation of hair volu me in women who used a monodrug called “paclitaxel” at a dose of 80 mg/m²/week for 12 weeks, using a hypothermic glycerinbased hydrogel cap in a private institution in the federal district. Methods: This descriptive retrospective study included 92 women with no evidence of alopecia at the beginning of monotherapy treatment with paclitaxel 80 mg/m2/week for 12 weeks. They used a hypothermic glycerin-based hydrogel cap during the infusion of the drug. The quantification of alopecia was performed using the modified Dean scale and Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4 (CTCAEv4). The patient characteristics such as age, type of hair, purpose of treatment, site of primary neoplasm were described. Results: From 2014 to 2018, 86 (93.5%) of the 92 patients who were included in the study had breast cancer. At the end of the 12 weeks of treatment, 83% of patients developed grade 1 alopecia by CTCAEv4. According to the modified Dean scale, 71% of patients were classified as alopecia grade 1, 12% as grade 2, 7.5% as grade 3, and 9.5% as grade 4. Conclusion: More than 80% of women, who were treated with paclitaxel weekly and used the hypothermic glycerin-based hydrogel cap, had at least 50% of their initial hair volume preserved by the two scales. These results suggest the effectiveness of the scalp cooling therapy in preventing CIA, being an important strategy to be considered to minimize the impact on the appearance and emotional damage caused by alopecia in these patients.