Starting chemo 3x unknown... cooling caps ?

[Terrorr]

After 7 months of surveillance b-HCH elevated and I’m starting 3 rounds of chemo next week ( CT - clear ), but I still don’t know what kind of drug they will give, probably BEP. I know my hair will fall out, I will be tired, vomiting… I accepted it all. I’m only hoping to keep my eyebrows and eyelashes.

I was thinking about maybe getting a male wig or using the cold caps, but I dismissed the thoughts because I would feel even weirder with those and the caps are not available in my country. And I'm a male, so people would laugh at me. Since I have to go to exams and do some practice in the hospital over summer ( I’m a med student ), my mother, behind my back and without me knowing about it, is trying to arrange cold caps … sooo … Now I’m getting a little unsure about the whole think. Of course it would be nice to have some hair even if it’s thinner, but in my hospital the doctors are not really familiar with those things and they will probably think I escaped from mental clinic.

Has anyone ever used those while receiving chemo 3 rounds of BEP ? Will it work ? I watched some vides with females fighting breast cancer and some of them didn’t lose hair at all.

I know there is a theoretical minimal chance of cancer cells surviving on my scalp and enjoying the cold weather, but such a thing didn’t happen to anyone.

Btw. after the first injection of the first week, how long does it take for the hair to go away ?
And the doc told me that one cycle takes 25 days ? Why ?? Isnt it supposed to be 21 days ?

[BarclayBanister]

Unfortunately you will lose your hair. I dont know what a cooling cap is, but if I were you I wouldjust accept that fact and the fact that it is temporary.

[val]

Hi,

Sorry to read that you now have to have chemotherapy but you will be on the road to recovery in no time.

My friend is fighting breast cancer for the ninth time and has been using cold cap for the last four and she has not lost her hair since then. Psychologically she feels better with Hair.

My brother did not use it and lost all his hair but eyebrows and lashes only thinned slightly.

The very best of luck with treatment.

[nciungan]

From my understanding the BEP regimen is a little more intense than most so I'm not sure the cold cap would work. I lost my hair day 14 as did most around that time. My eyebrows are still in tact though thinner as well as my eyelashes.

[Ny01]

I just finished my BEPx3 chemo a few weeks ago and also looked extensively into the cold caps. After talking to the only two major companies in the US that can supply them, they both had told me that because the BEPx3 is a more lengthy amount of time during the chemo days and somewhat high in intensity, it would probably not work. In fact one of the reps told me she has had a few young men try and it didn't work. There is also another big reason besides cost/failure rate that you would want to not bother with cold caps. You have to bring a cooler with you every time you go to Chemo filled with dry ice and caps for every 30 minutes. Given that most of the chemo days last all day for BEP, that would be a HUGE pain in the butt. Most other chemos (breast, lung, etc) go in every few weeks for an hour or two over a longer total monthly time period. Hence switching a couple caps is not a big deal. They also have proven results for women. Switching all day long, especially in the latter rounds when you are weak, would be almost impossibly annoying. I have read that Rogaine (Minoxidil) can speed up the time for regrowth if you use during chemo and after to. It won't help the hair not to fall out, but a scientific study I read on the web states that it shaved on average 4 weeks of time before regrowth after chemo compared to a placebo group. I'm using the Rogaine Foam. I hope this info helps. Good luck with everything!! And yes, the protocol is normally 21 days. I've never heard of 25.

Rob

[Terrorr]

I just finished my BEPx3 chemo a few weeks ago and also looked extensively into the cold caps. After talking to the only two major companies in the US that can supply them, they both had told me that because the BEPx3 is a more lengthy amount of time during the chemo days and somewhat high in intensity, it would probably not work. In fact one of the reps told me she has had a few young men try and it didn't work. There is also another big reason besides cost/failure rate that you would want to not bother with cold caps. You have to bring a cooler with you every time you go to Chemo filled with dry ice and caps for every 30 minutes. Given that most of the chemo days last all day for BEP, that would be a HUGE pain in the butt. Most other chemos (breast, lung, etc) go in every few weeks for an hour or two over a longer total monthly time period. Hence switching a couple caps is not a big deal. They also have proven results for women. Switching all day long, especially in the latter rounds when you are weak, would be almost impossibly annoying. I have read that Rogaine (Minoxidil) can speed up the time for regrowth if you use during chemo and after to. It won't help the hair not to fall out, but a scientific study I read on the web states that it shaved on average 4 weeks of time before regrowth after chemo compared to a placebo group. I'm using the Rogaine Foam. I hope this info helps. Good luck with everything!! And yes, the protocol is normally 21 days. I've never heard of 25.

Rob

I didn’t know that TC chemo was so much stronger than breast cancer chemo. Now I’m totally unsure about the caps …I just can’t find any information on the internet about wearing the caps while receiving BEP. I heard about minoxidil and I’m gonna definitely try it after chemo. Did your hair started to grow back ? When did you started to use minoxidil, right after the last injection ?

[S P]

Cold caps might work for some types of chemo, but definitely not TC. TC is highly curable but only if they hit you HARD and FAST with the chemo. It's just going to be too much for a cold cap to handle. Most guys lose their hair after the first round of either BEP (or EPx4) chemo and then just do a complete shave of the head after that. Some people can really pull off the bald look well. I can and have actually stuck with a really really short basically bald look since chemo.

[Ny01]

BEP is just different in that it's a lot over a short period rather than spread out over many months or years. You won't find any info on BEP and cold caps. I had to call the two major companies directly. They were very nice, but pretty honest that it would cost a lot and a good chance it would not work. Now after the chemo process, it would have been a major nightmare to try and wear them throughout. Not to mention, they wouldn't have worked and I'd be out a few thousand. Save your time and money. My hair loss started on day 15 and then I shaved my head. I started using Rogaine foam after my 2nd round and right now I'm 3-4 weeks out and seem to be sprouting a bunch of fuzzy hairs all over head. Good luck!

[Terrorr]

BEP is just different in that it's a lot over a short period rather than spread out over many months or years. You won't find any info on BEP and cold caps. I had to call the two major companies directly. They were very nice, but pretty honest that it would cost a lot and a good chance it would not work. Now after the chemo process, it would have been a major nightmare to try and wear them throughout. Not to mention, they wouldn't have worked and I'd be out a few thousand. Save your time and money. My hair loss started on day 15 and then I shaved my head. I started using Rogaine foam after my 2nd round and right now I'm 3-4 weeks out and seem to be sprouting a bunch of fuzzy hairs all over head. Good luck!

Since minoxidil is a vasodilatator, I think it would be much better to start using it few days after last dose of chemo. Using it while receiving chemo could increase the affects of BEP on the hair follicles and damage them more … just my thought.

So I guess I should not even try putting the cap on my head

[hbr777]

Indeed, hair loss is a given with BEP. And not just on the head. You won't have to shave (hooray?) your face. But you might lose hair everywhere on your body. It just happens 2-3 weeks in to the first round.

Sorry that you have to be thinking about this - but welcome to the forum!

[Davepet]

I started chemo 2-8-10 & my hair started falling out on 2-23-10 (15 days) I shaved it completely a day or two later.
I never lost all my eyebrow/eyelashes or leg & arm hair, but it all was very thin. Everything else was gone completely.

My last bleo was 4-6-10 & fuzz started showing on 4-22 (16 days). I had my first haircut on 5-26-10 (50 days post chemo) mostly to even things up a bit.

My hair came back super curly (think back to the afros of the 70's) & took about two years to get back completely normal.

Bald is the cancer warrior's badge, wear it proudly.

Dvae

[Terrorr]

Just one question … people are saying that hair starts to grow again around 3-4 weeks after chemo … does this mean 4 weeks after the last 5 day regime of the 3rd cycle ( last 5 days where people are getting everyday chemo for 6 hours ) or 4 weeks after the last bleomycin injection of the 3rd week of the 3rd cycle ( day 14-16 of the 3rd cycle )? just curious …

I hope that my question is not too confusing

[hbr777]

It is the Cisplatin, I think, that causes the hair loss.

It was around a month after it was all through, for my husband's hair to start growing. And then it grew in curly. He had to cut it really short to get it to grow back in more normal.

[Terrorr]

It is the Cisplatin, I think, that causes the hair loss.

It was around a month after it was all through, for my husband's hair to start growing. And then it grew in curly. He had to cut it really short to get it to grow back in more normal.

So you mean 3-4 weaks after 63 days ?

Etopside is the main cause for hair loss.

[AustinsMom]

The picture posted here of Austin is on day 17. He had just begun complaining of mouth sores and his hair was starting to fall out, but he did not want it shaved completely. The plan was to cut a little more every day. The following night he ended up in the hospital though and in hindsight, wished he had just shaved it because it then started to come out in clumps and was causing him to constantly itch. It was everywhere. At that point, as much as I dreaded him losing his hair, it looked MUCH better once we returned home and shaved it.

Although the timing for loss seems to be about the same for most guys, it seems like some guys lose more than others. Austin's chest, arm and leg hair thinned out, but closer to the end of the entire chemo treatment. The same with his brows and eyelashes. What still strikes me as odd, is that my sister and I stood on either side of Austin and shaved his head. It seemed to take forever and he got tired of sitting, so there was a small sparse strip left on the top we trimmed down to maybe 1/2 inch. It never fell out and is growing slightly!! Also, at various times during his chemo he would need to shave his face. Austin completed chemo 2 1/2 weeks ago. Yesterday he had his port removed and I noticed when I rubbed his head there was a little stubble.

This is the first I've read about Rogaine. I'll have to go get some. Honestly though, the thought of Austin losing his thick head of hair was traumatic for me. However, once it happened and once I looked around at all the other kids in the Pediatric Chemo Ward and Clinic who looked like they had been through so much more, for a much longer period of time and with perhaps not such a positive prognosis, it put things in perspective. He still wears this funky cap out of the house, but he has been rubbing sunless tanner on his head and neck which makes all the skin tones blend so his pale head is not so noticeable.

And yes... you will be tired, but there is a possibility you may not vomit at all. Stay on top of the anti-nausea meds as a preventative measure. ( Kytril was super for Austin) If one doesn't work they will give you another. You will be taking lots of pills at certain times (long weeks and right after). Don't hesitate to do so even though it seems like so much. The meds will help you feel much better and it's only for a short time.

Good Luck!!
Diane

[Davepet]

Just one question … people are saying that hair starts to grow again around 3-4 weeks after chemo … does this mean 4 weeks after the last 5 day regime of the 3rd cycle ( last 5 days where people are getting everyday chemo for 6 hours ) or 4 weeks after the last bleomycin injection of the 3rd week of the 3rd cycle ( day 14-16 of the 3rd cycle )? just curious …

Like I said above:

My last bleo was 4-6-10 & fuzz started showing on 4-22 (16 days)

I kept notes on my calendar bscause I knew I'd forget details otherwise.

Dave