Why do people with cancer lose their hair all of a sudden?

One of the first things that come to mind when talking about cancer treatment is sudden hair loss. In fact, the thing that sheds hair is chemotherapy itself. So how does chemotherapy reveal this type of hair loss called “alopecia”?

Chemotherapy, one of the leading fields of medical oncology, can serve different purposes; It may be aimed at alleviating the symptoms of the disease, prolonging the patient’s life expectancy or getting rid of the disease completely. This depends on the type of cancer and the condition of the patient.

Why does the hair of patients who receive chemotherapy treatment fall out?

 

 

A patient was treated for systemic hyperthermia.

Different techniques can be used in chemotherapy. In systemic therapy, which is one of the common techniques, drugs, and chemical components are given to patients intravenously. Sometimes, in addition to systemic treatment, surgery, radiation or systemic hyperthermia treatment can also be used.

Medicines and treatments that try to prevent cancer have a variety of side effects. Hair loss is one of the most obvious of these side effects. Hair falls out 2-4 weeks after chemotherapy treatment begins. Although the shedding is sometimes slow, it can sometimes occur suddenly in a rapid form.

Why do these drugs affect hair?

Hair follicle

Cancerous cells spread rapidly throughout the body. Because cancer drugs know this, they attack rapidly growing cells. However, it cannot distinguish which cell is cancerous and which cell is healthy.

For this reason, the cells of the hair follicle, which is responsible for producing hair and known for its rapid growth, also get their share from these drugs. While drugs sometimes only affect the hair, they can also affect other body hairs such as eyelashes, hairs, and feathers.

The degree of spillage may vary depending on the patient’s condition and the type of medication. Drugs such as Adriamycin can cause the patient to lose eyebrows and eyelashes in a few weeks. Medicines such as taxol affect the body in general.

Hair loss can be prevented by applying minoxidil to the scalp before and during chemotherapy, but it cannot be said that it always works.

Hair starts to grow again 2-3 months after chemotherapy ends. This shedding is a discontinuous side effect. When the hair first comes out, it may be straighter or curly, its color may be different, but it will return to its original state later on.

In the use of smart drugs, which is a treatment method different from chemotherapy, drugs directly target cancerous cells. These drugs have differences in that they prevent the division and proliferation of cancer cells rather than being lethal. It can be said that smart medicine is one step ahead of its effects.

Sources: sciencedirect.com, mayoclinic.org