Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Corso di laurea in infermieristica - Sede di Modena
| Thesis Title | Improving the quality of life in patients with chemotherapy-induced alopecia: using Paxman Scalp Cooler |
|---|---|
| Name | Ascari Maria Chiara |
| Supervisor(s) | Nicolini Patrizia, Giannotti Emilia |
| Academic Year | 2013/14 |
| Thesis type | Non research thesis |
Abstract
Alopecia is the most traumatizing and unavoidable side effect of chemotherapy regimens. Cytotoxic chemotherapy rapidly attacks dividing cells in the body, including the dividing hair matrix cells. It doesen’t discriminate however, between the healthy cells from the unhealthy ones.
Alopecia has a strong impact on the quality of life of the patient, his or her body image, social interactions, cause depression and finally can affect the treatment choices and the psychosocial well-being; furthermore a distorted perception of the body image interferes with the sexuality of the convalescent.
Given the reasons stated above, the nurse plays a fundamental role towards the patient, because must understand the importance to the patient for the appearance of alopecia. The nurse has also the role of informing the patient about the treatment options. Moreover the nurse has to teach how to take care of themselves in order to minimize the effects provoked by the loss of hair.
In order to prevent hair loss a new medical treatment has been discovered, it uses the cooling mechanism, with which, while maintaining a constant temperature around the scalp of -4°C, it inhibits the release of the chemotherapy drug within the hair bulbs.
We can deduce from the results of the studies made in North Europe, as well as the ones done at Ramazzini Carpi’s Hospital, the efficiency of the scalp cooling mechanism. Moreover, thanks of the survey conducted on the patients affected with breast cancer that have accepted submitting to the treatment, we could observe that 55% of them consider the appearance of alopecia a central factor and therefore, thanks of scalp cooling method, is easier to accept the chemotherapy treatment.
This mechanism has proved to be effective and tolerable. It reduces the use of wigs and scarves and it moreover increases the well-being of patients suffering from cancer, who thanks to this type of treatment are not subjected to the side effects of alopecia anymore.