Minoxidil for Endocrine Therapy–Induced Alopecia in Women With Breast Cancer—Saint Agatha’s Blessing?

The document, from 5 years ago, discussed a study by Freites-Martinez et al. on endocrine therapy-induced alopecia (EIA) in women with breast cancer, involving 112 patients. It found that 67% of alopecia cases were attributed to aromatase inhibitors and 33% to tamoxifen. The hair loss significantly affected the patients' quality of life. However, topical minoxidil improved alopecia in 80% of treated patients. The document also explored the role of estrogens and androgens in hair growth and loss, and the effectiveness of topical minoxidil in treating female androgenetic alopecia. It concluded that while hair loss from chemotherapy and endocrine therapy couldn't be completely prevented, it could be managed with treatments like scalp cooling and topical minoxidil.