New device helps control hair loss

Chemotherapy, a treatment for cancer, is often shunned by patients due to the associated hair loss.For many cancer patients, losing hair and having to face the embarrassment is the “last straw”, according to Dr Hala Abdel Latif, Oncology Specialist at Al Noor Hospital in Abu Dhabi. “Most of the patients know about alopecia (hair loss) so most of them refuse chemotherapy treatment because of this problem,” Dr Latif toldKhaleej Times.The oncologist explained that multiple chemical doses given to cancer patients cause hair loss and sometimes baldness. This is because the drugs that destroy the cancer cells also affect healthy cells causing hair fall. However, with the new technology imported by Al Noor Hospital from the UK, hair loss can be prevented by 70 to 75 per cent.“This device is widely used in Europe,” Dr Latif pointed out, noting that this is the first time that a machine of this type is being used in the UAE. The device, which comes in the form of a helmet is placed on the head of the patient during chemotherapy treatment. The equipment acts as a cooling device that prevents hair follicles from getting damaged by the drugs.The device is used before, during and after the therapy and could last up to five hours depending on the treatment, said Dr Latif.Since it was introduced a few months ago, 16 patients receiving chemotherapy treatment at Al Noor showed about 74 per cent success rate. The Cancer and Tumor Unit in Al Noor Hospital has received 3,500 visits during the first 11 months of this year and about 8,000 cancer patients since 2008.