A new frozen gel-filled cap- called DigniCap-may one day help cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy prevent hair loss. The DigniCap, made by Dignitana in Lund, Sweden, is part of a trial limited to patients whose breast cancer is in the early stages.
During treatment, the hair follicles chills gel limits the amount of chemotherapy that reaches them. Patients wearing the caps, in which the gel is cooled to -30 Celsius, are instructed to change the caps frequently during and after their treatments and sometimes switch caps 15 times during a treatment so that the proper scalp temperature is maintained. Keeping the scalp cool causes the blood vessels around the hair roots to contract, so that the hair follicles don't get such a big amount of chemo drugs.
Breast cancer patient Heather Millar, 47, is one of only four people in the U.S. to try the cold cap so far. After three chemo sessions, Millar still has her dark blond hair. The FDA requires a 100-person trial of the DigniCap for safety and effectiveness before approving the Swedish device. At least 65 percent of cancer patients receiving chemo lose their hair, an emotionally and psychologically damaging side effect of treatment.
For more information please visit Dignitana.
The outer cap
The inner cap
The cooling and control unit
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