Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Response to Treatment of Persistent Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia in Breast Cancer Survivors

November 2021 in “ JAMA Dermatology ”

Bevin Bhoyrul, Leila Asfour, G. Lutz, Lara Mitchell, Rebekka Jerjen, Rodney Sinclair, Susan Holmes, Iskander H. Chaudhry, Matthew Harries

chemotherapy-induced alopecia pattern alopecia alopecia areata-like minoxidil spironolactone Rogaine

TLDR Different types of persistent hair loss after chemotherapy respond differently to treatments.

The document discusses a study involving 112 breast cancer survivors with persistent chemotherapy-induced alopecia (PCIA). The study found that 63% of the participants had pattern alopecia, while 37% had alopecia areata-like. Minoxidil and spironolactone treatments improved hair density in 75% of the participants with pattern alopecia, but were less effective in those with alopecia areata-like, with only 21% showing improvement. The study concludes that the type of PCIA can influence the effectiveness of treatment, and further research is needed to develop more effective treatments for all types of PCIA.

View this study on doi.org →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Cited in this study

27 / 27 results

research Safety of Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil for Hair Loss: A Multicenter Study of 1404 Patients

39 citations , June 2021 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Low-dose oral minoxidil safely treats hair loss, with hypertrichosis as main side effect.

research Spironolactone Use Does Not Increase the Risk of Female Breast Cancer Recurrence: A Retrospective Analysis

10 citations , October 2020 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Taking spironolactone doesn't increase the chance of breast cancer coming back.

research Minoxidil 1 mg Oral Versus Minoxidil 5% Topical Solution for the Treatment of Female-Pattern Hair Loss: A Randomized Clinical Trial

53 citations , January 2020 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Oral minoxidil and topical minoxidil 5% both effectively improve female-pattern hair loss with safe side effects.

research Effectiveness and Safety of Low-Dose Oral Minoxidil in Male Androgenetic Alopecia

52 citations , August 2019 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Low-dose oral minoxidil effectively improves male hair loss with mild side effects.

research Assessment of Quality of Life and Treatment Outcomes of Patients With Persistent Postchemotherapy Alopecia

43 citations , June 2019 in “JAMA Dermatology”

Hair regrowth treatments had modest benefits for patients with long-term hair loss after chemotherapy.

research Hair Disorders in Patients with Cancer

53 citations , May 2019 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Cancer treatments often cause hair disorders, significantly affecting patients' quality of life, and better management methods are needed.

research Permanent Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia in Patients with Breast Cancer: A 3-Year Prospective Cohort Study

59 citations , August 2018 in “The oncologist”

Some breast cancer patients still experience hair loss three years after chemotherapy, especially with taxane-based treatments.

research Persistent Major Alopecia Following Adjuvant Docetaxel for Breast Cancer: Incidence, Characteristics, and Prevention with Scalp Cooling

19 citations , June 2018 in “Breast Cancer Research and Treatment”

Scalp cooling effectively prevents severe hair loss in breast cancer patients treated with docetaxel and is safe.

research Endocrine Therapy-Induced Alopecia in Patients With Breast Cancer

67 citations , June 2018 in “JAMA Dermatology”

Hair loss from hormone therapy in breast cancer patients can be improved with minoxidil treatment.

research Lichen Planopilaris and Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia as Model Epithelial Stem Cell Diseases

80 citations , May 2018 in “Trends in Molecular Medicine”

Lichen Planopilaris and Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia may help us understand hair follicle stem cell disorders and suggest new treatments.

research Permanent Alopecia in Patients with Breast Cancer After Taxane Chemotherapy and Adjuvant Hormonal Therapy: Clinicopathologic Findings in a Cohort of 10 Patients

31 citations , May 2017 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Some breast cancer patients developed permanent hair loss after chemotherapy and hormonal therapy, showing patterns similar to common baldness and alopecia areata.

research Treatment of Permanent Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia with Low Dose Oral Minoxidil

36 citations , November 2016 in “Australasian Journal of Dermatology”

Low dose oral minoxidil helps regrow hair in permanent chemotherapy-induced alopecia.

research Hair Regrowth in Male and Female Pattern Hair Loss Does Not Involve the Conversion of Vellus Hair to Terminal Hair

14 citations , June 2016 in “Experimental Dermatology”

Hair regrowth doesn't convert thin hairs to thick hairs, but increases overall hair density.

research Clinical and Histological Study of Permanent Alopecia After Bone Marrow Transplantation

23 citations , December 2015 in “Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia”

Permanent hair loss after bone marrow transplant can be caused by chemotherapy or chronic graft-versus-host disease.

research Permanent Chemotherapy-Induced Nonscarring Alopecia and Premature Ovarian Failure

5 citations , March 2015 in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology”

Chemotherapy caused a woman's permanent hair loss and early menopause.

research Analysis of Quantitative Changes in Hair Growth During Treatment With Chemotherapy or Tamoxifen in Patients With Breast Cancer: A Cohort Study

24 citations , March 2014 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

Chemotherapy causes hair loss starting soon after treatment begins and recovers about 3 months after ending, while tamoxifen does not significantly affect hair growth.

research Alopecia With Endocrine Therapies in Patients With Cancer

48 citations , September 2013 in “Oncologist”

Endocrine therapies for cancer significantly increase the risk of hair loss.

research Dermal Papilla Cell Number Specifies Hair Size, Shape, and Cycling, and Its Reduction Causes Follicular Decline

211 citations , April 2013 in “Development”

More dermal papilla cells in hair follicles lead to larger, healthier hair, while fewer cells cause hair thinning and loss.

research Pathobiology of Chemotherapy-Induced Hair Loss

218 citations , February 2013 in “The Lancet Oncology”

Chemotherapy causes hair loss by damaging hair follicles and stem cells, with more research needed for prevention and treatment.

research Permanent Scalp Alopecia Related to Breast Cancer Chemotherapy by Sequential Fluorouracil/Epirubicin/Cyclophosphamide (FEC) and Docetaxel: A Prospective Study of 20 Patients

68 citations , November 2012 in “Annals of Oncology”

Some breast cancer chemotherapy can cause permanent hair loss.

research Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia

103 citations , July 2012 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

Chemotherapy often causes temporary hair loss, which is distressing and needs better treatment and support.

research Impact of Taxol on Dermal Papilla Cells: A Proteomics and Bioinformatics Analysis

9 citations , November 2011 in “Journal of proteomics”

Taxol damages hair growth cells, causing hair loss.

research Permanent Alopecia After Systemic Chemotherapy: A Clinicopathological Study of 10 Cases

57 citations , June 2011 in “The American Journal of Dermatopathology”

Chemotherapy can cause permanent, non-reversible hair loss similar to pattern baldness.

research Bald Scalp in Men with Androgenetic Alopecia Retains Hair Follicle Stem Cells but Lacks CD200-Rich and CD34-Positive Hair Follicle Progenitor Cells

235 citations , February 2011 in “Journal of Clinical Investigation”

Men with baldness due to androgenetic alopecia still have hair stem cells, but lack specific cells needed for hair growth.

research Permanent Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia: Case Report and Review of the Literature

67 citations , August 2010 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Some chemotherapy can cause permanent hair loss.

research Dissecting the Impact of Chemotherapy on the Human Hair Follicle

99 citations , October 2007 in “The American journal of pathology”

Chemotherapy damages hair follicles, causing hair loss and other cellular changes.

research The Reliability of Horizontally Sectioned Scalp Biopsies in the Diagnosis of Chronic Diffuse Telogen Hair Loss in Women

137 citations , August 2004 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Horizontally sectioned scalp biopsies are more reliable for diagnosing hair loss in women when three samples are taken instead of one.

6 / 6 results

research Sensitive Scalp: An Epidemiologic Study in Patients with Hair Loss

1 citations , January 2022 in “Dermatology Reports”

Many people with hair loss, especially those with telogen effluvium and alopecia areata, often have a sensitive scalp.

research A Clinico-Epidemiological Study of Scalp Hair Loss in Children (0–18 Years) in Kota Region, South-East Rajasthan

6 citations , January 2019 in “Indian Journal of Dermatology”

About 12% of children in Kota, Rajasthan, experience hair loss, mainly due to fungal infections, with early treatment advised to prevent worsening.