Hair spared for St John of God Berwick Hospital cancer patients

17 Jul 2017

17 July 2017

Developed by Swedish company Dignitana, the DigniCap is a tight-fitting moulded, silicon cooling cap designed to lower the temperature of the scalp to reduce blood flow and consequently, the impact of chemotherapy on the hair follicle.

The DigniCap machine can help reduce hair loss caused by chemotherapy, which is often one of the most challenging side effects of the treatment as it can affect patient self-esteem and wellbeing.

“The concept of scalp cooling was first introduced in 1970s and now, scalp cooling is conducted via a cold cap. The SCALP trial showed a 50 per cent hair retention rate in scalp cooling group and 0 per cent in control group," said Oncologist Dr Sem Liew.

Funded through generous donations to St John of God Berwick Hospital, the Oncology Unit has recently been able to purchase the $40,000 hair saving technology which can treat up to two patients at a time and is expected to be operational in July, 2017.

“The most positive thing about the scalp cooling cap is giving our patients choice and control over their treatment options,” said St John of God Berwick Hospital Oncology Unit Manager Lisa Marchetti.

“Often when patients have been given a cancer diagnosis they can feel they have lost control over their lives, so having the option to control hair loss is a small but poignant victory in their fight against cancer."

Although the process extends treatment times, according to Dignitana, the technology has been well received, with eight out of 10 patients being satisfied with the significant reduction (and in some cases, elimination) of chemotherapy-induced alopecia.

“It’s a free service that we hope will offer our patients improved quality of life and create a more positive outlook about their treatment plan,” said Lisa.

For more information on the DigniCap technology at St John of God Berwick Hospital please contact our Oncology Unit on (03) 8793 0575.