Abstract 5225
Background
Chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) is a common and distressing side effect of chemotherapy treatment. Significant progress has been made during the past 2 decades in treating many of the side effects associated with cancer chemotherapy including emesis, hematopoietic cytopenias, xerostomia, infection, pain, and thrombosis. Similar progress has not been made in the prevention of CIA, apart from scalp cooling. We set out to examine the uptake, patient satisfaction and efficacy (as perceived by medical staff and patients) of scalp cooling treatment among patients receiving chemotherapy.
Methods
We reviewed a prospectively maintained database of patients who were offered scalp cooling treatment in our oncology dayward between 01/10/2014 and 22/06/2018. We analysed patient uptake and efficacy as perceived and recorded by medical staff (“medical efficacy”). A questionnaire was sent to patients who had accepted scalp cooling treatment and were alive at follow-up, to assess patient perceived efficacy and patient satisfaction. Patient perceived efficacy was compared to medical efficacy using the Fisher’s exact test.
Results
The mean age was 60.1 (SD 10.9) and 91.4% of the patients were female. Uptake for scalp cooling was 49% (120/245). 75% (90/120) of patients were alive at follow up and 51% (46/90) responded to the questionnaire. Scalp cooling was considered efficacious in 63% (29/46) of patients, versus 43.3% (52/120) as assessed by the medical team, Fishers test p = 0.0253. 86.9% of patients who accepted scalp cooling and responded to the questionnaire (40/46) agreed or strongly agreed that they were satisfied with their choice to try scalp cooling, and 67.4% (31/46) agreed or strongly agreed that their experience of scalp cooling was a positive one. There was a strong association between patient perceived efficacy and satisfaction (p < 0.001).
Conclusions
The use of scalp cooling to prevent chemotherapy induced alopecia is an effective treatment in our real-world population. Patients were more likely than the medical team to consider scalp cooling treatment effective. We found high levels of patient satisfaction with the decision to try scalp cooling, even among patients whose treatment was ineffective.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
The authors.
Funding
Has not received any funding.
Disclosure
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Resources from the same session
5344 - Global trends in population-based survival for 303,169 adults diagnosed with glioblastoma in 44 countries during 2000-2014 (CONCORD-3)
Presenter: Fabio Girardi
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
3088 - Spanish Survey of treatment recommendations for elderley patients with glioblastoma
Presenter: María Ángeles Vaz Salgado
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
3484 - Updated analysis of the National Registry of Nervous System Tumors in Spain (RETSINE). RETSINE: National Registry of Nervous System Tumors of the Spanish Research Group in Neuro-oncology (GEINO) and Spanish Infrequent and Orphan Tumors Group (GETHI)
Presenter: Isaac Ceballos Lenza
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
4737 - Development and validation of novel nomograms predicting survival of malignant ependymoma patients: A population-based study
Presenter: Alzhraa Abbas
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
4740 - Characteristics, incidence, and survival of primary cerebral lymphoma: A population based study
Presenter: Sherief Ghozy
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
5362 - Trends in Incidence and Survival Analyses of Adult-onset Medulloblastoma
Presenter: Feifei Lin
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
3868 - Meta of classical chemotherapy compared with high-dose chemotherapy combined with autologous stem cell transplantation in newly diagnosed medulloblastoma patients after radiotherapy
Presenter: Mengting Zhang
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
4446 - Effect of cumulative dose of maintenance temozolomide on overall survival in patients with high grade glia tumors: a single institution analysis
Presenter: Marta Nerone
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
5119 - Markers of systemic inflammation correlate with survival prognosis in patients with newly diagnosed brain metastases
Presenter: Angelika Starzer
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract
3882 - Venous Thromboembolism and Intracranial Hemorrhage in Patients with High-grade Glioma
Presenter: Clara Borges
Session: Poster Display session 1
Resources:
Abstract