Icon Group will be the first in Brisbane to introduce the Paxman Scalp Cooling System; a recognised world leader in reducing hair loss caused by chemotherapy treatment.
The Paxman Scalp Cooling System is currently used across 32 countries worldwide, including the United Kingdom and European countries, and will soon be available to Icon Cancer Centre (previously known as Icon Cancer Care) patients, with the Wesley centre to be the first.
Many chemotherapy drugs work by targeting rapidly dividing cells in the body. Hair is one of these, and the chemotherapy drugs can cause hair loss by directly harming the hair follicles. This hair loss can be alleviated by using scalp cooling, or ‘cold caps’. The system works by reducing the temperature of the patient’s scalp by a few degrees immediately before, during and after the administration of chemotherapy. The cooling effect reduces the blood flow to hair follicles and can therefore minimise hair loss.
