Scalp Cooling Capacity Doubles at Two South East Hospitals to Reduce Chemotherapy-Related Hair Loss
核心洞察
Two new scalp cooling machines donated to East Surrey Hospital and Crawley Hospital have doubled capacity in their chemotherapy (搜索) units, expanding access for hundreds more cancer (搜索) patients.
Scalp cooling lowers scalp temperature during chemotherapy (搜索) to help patients retain hair, and per Macmillan Cancer Support (搜索) it can also help hair regrow faster after treatment.
The £22,000 donation to Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Charity's cancer (搜索) fund came from an anonymous volunteer who had witnessed the technique's benefits firsthand.
Hundreds more cancer (搜索) patients across the South East of England are gaining access to a technique that helps tackle chemotherapy (搜索)-related hair loss, after two new scalp cooling machines were donated to East Surrey Hospital and Crawley Hospital in West Sussex. The machines have doubled capacity in the hospitals' chemotherapy units.
Scalp cooling works by lowering the temperature of the scalp during chemotherapy (搜索), helping patients retain more of their hair during treatment. According to Macmillan Cancer Support (搜索), while scalp cooling is a way of reducing or preventing hair loss from chemotherapy, it can also help hair grow back faster once treatment is over. The technique is often referred to as a cold cap or cool cap.
The new machines were funded by a donation of £22,000 to Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Charity's cancer (搜索) fund, given by an anonymous volunteer who had seen the difference scalp cooling can make to patients. Crawley Hospital records around 300 cold cap uses each year, while East Surrey Hospital records around 620 cold cap uses each year.
Chemotherapy (搜索) patient Lara Smith from Reigate said the technique "has helped me maintain my sense of identity and meant I have been able to continue working for longer." Smith, a current chemotherapy patient at East Surrey Hospital, added: "I have been using the cold cap alongside my treatment since April and still have all my hair."
Another patient, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "I was scared to try it as I thought it would be painful, but I would recommend it. Hair is a massive part of your identity."
Sarah Burton, chief nurse at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (搜索), said the new equipment "really does make a difference to our patients." She added: "Being able to reduce hair loss during what is quite a difficult treatment can make the experience just that little bit easier."
Amelia Ling, Lead SACT (Systemic Anti-Cancer (搜索) Therapy) nurse and matron at East Surrey Hospital, explained the clinical significance of the intervention: "When a patient has chemotherapy (搜索) and loses their hair, it's a visible sign of sickness or of someone being unwell. Scalp cooling therapy works to reduce this, meaning patients don't lose as much of their hair, which is often a huge part of their identity and body image. Anything we can do to reduce that helps them feel more 'normal' again."