Health and Fitness
Types of chemo caps that cover the head of the patient
Chemo Turban Cancer Caps for Cancer Patients
Some men with non-melanoma skin cancers are receiving chemo treatments that leave scarring and abrasion in the skin. Such treatments produce hyper-sensitive skin, which makes the chemo more difficult to apply and can actually create a worse effect on cancer skin. Today, some researchers are experimenting with two types of chemo caps that cover the head of the patient. One type is a wearable chemo treatment hat that uses chemo pads that are chemically attached to the hats. These pads make the chemo safer for the wearer, while keeping the pads from sticking to hair or clothing. The chemotherapy is delivered via a wet applicator that is just wet enough to provide the chemo, but not so wet that the cap is soaked or becomes dry. There is less worry that the chemo will be carried to the skin and cause blistering.
Chemo caps Models
Two models of the chemo cap are tested. One is a silicone cap made of 30 microns of thermoplastic. The other is a hydrophobic, bead-like cap made of a synthetic hydrogel. According to this research, both caps provide excellent shielding of the chemo. The chemo caps provide a tenfold reduction in adverse skin reactions and have a 96% success rate in reducing blistering. However, the chemo cap is not practical for cancer patients with scalp hair, because hair is at the end of the cap, requiring the cap to be attached to the head, and this takes time. The hydrophobic chemo cap does not provide adequate protection for the scalp hair. Also, because of the unpredictability of a chemical application of a chemo, the hydrophobic chemo cap could not be used as an everyday cap.
According to this research, only the chemo cap provides protection for the scalp hair. Also, the chemo cap would provide a greater benefit to cancer patients who have moderate to severe hair loss. This research concludes that, “Chemotherapy caps should be considered for routine use in non-skin cancer patients.” With a projected cost of $3,000 for a chemo cap, the research is not inexpensive. However, if it would prevent cancer patients from severe, blistering skin reactions, I would certainly purchase such a cap.
Patient Experience
I was asked to write this article to share the experiences of men with cancer, and a review of the research, with which I agree.
When my wife and I first became cancer patients, it was not easy. The main difficulty was in helping our son adapt to the changes. At first, he did not want to visit us in the hospital and was very upset when his father was too sick to lift him in the bathtub. We went out to dinner once a week because I needed to build my strength, and my wife needed to make sure that my diet and alcohol intake would not increase my risk of complications.
During chemotherapy, I tried to stay as healthy as possible. I tried to avoid dairy products like milk and cheese, but I usually craved them, because there was not a food that was safe to eat. During chemotherapy, I stayed away from caffeine and alcohol, because alcohol causes nausea. On the other hand, I was given a large bottle of alcohol-free cranberry juice every day. Even though it made me nauseous, I could not stop drinking it, because I was trying to build my strength.
Radiation
At the time, I was experiencing no abdominal pain and minimal leg pain, since I had to lay flat most of the time. When I went for radiation, I was exposed to radiation for two to three days, but I was given steroids and a low dose of chemo for this time. Then I was given another drug to reduce the severity of the burns and limit the hair loss. It took about a month for the burns to be completely healed. After the radiation, I could stay up in bed, but I had to keep the pressure on my head low. After a few weeks, the hair came in slowly. However, when it was time for surgery to remove the hair, the surgeon recommended that the patient wear a cap to protect the hair and the scalp from infection.
I read up on all the studies that mentioned the chemo cap. The caps offered protection from the chemical exposure, and I knew that such a cap could save my hair. However, I had not tried one yet.
Story
Several weeks later, I went back to see my oncologist. He was surprised to hear about the research, and he recommended that I try the chemo cap. I did not want to risk my health and hair by trying a chemo cap, but I was curious about this new technology. I wore the cap for one week, and I thought that the chemo cap was an excellent idea. I had good skin protection, and I had almost zero discomfort. Also, the chemo cap prevented the hair loss.
I did not want to wait any longer to try a chemo cap, so I tried another cap. This one was a hydrophobic, bead-like cap. During the week, I did not experience any discomfort. The pain that was mostly in my hands and arms was reduced, and the pain was quite minor in my scalp. Also, I noticed that my skin did not get inflamed.
