Valley-Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care offers scalp cooling treatment to help prevent hair loss due to chemotherapy

Valley-Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care in Ridgewood said it is now offering the Paxman Scalp Cooling System to help prevent hair loss caused by chemotherapy for patients diagnosed with malignant solid tumors.

Scalp cooling is a noninvasive process that reduces the temperature of the scalp to between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. The Paxman system consists of a compact refrigeration system unit with coolant that is circulated through specifically designed single-patient-use cooling caps. By cooling the scalp, blood flow to the area is reduced and less blood containing the chemotherapy agents reaches the hair follicles. The cooling also causes the cells in the hair follicles to become dormant, preventing the cells from rapidly dividing, and subsequently being less affected by chemotherapy and limiting hair loss.

“Hair loss is one of the most traumatic aspects of receiving chemotherapy, and the ability to potentially prevent hair loss can be incredibly helpful for patients,” medical oncologist Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky, head of breast medical oncology, Valley-Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care, said. “Overall, it has the potential to make the experience less traumatic.”

“Our team adopted the Paxman Scalp Cooling System to ensure that our patients have every opportunity available to them during their cancer care,” Dr. Amanda Podolski, a Valley oncologist, stated.