The infusion center at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South is utilizing the innovative DigniCap® Scalp Cooling System to help minimize hair loss for chemotherapy patients.
Positive results from an FDA trial published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) indicate that seven out of 10 patients using the DigniCap system kept at least 50 percent of their hair. DigniCap received FDA clearance in 2015. DigniCap may minimize hair loss from certain chemotherapy treatments for women and men with tumors associated with breast, ovarian, uterine, prostate and other tissues. It is also said to help with earlier hair regrowth following chemotherapy.
“Limiting the loss of hair during chemotherapy is way of providing psychological support for patients and helps to alleviate aspects of fear and anxiety about these life-saving treatments,” said Brian Frazier, St. Joseph’s Hospital-South’s interventional services manager, who oversees the hospital’s infusion center. “The technology assists in helping patients maintain their appearance and can lift their spirits during the time they are undergoing chemotherapy.”
The DigniCap Scalp Cooling System consists of a computerized cooling unit managed through a touch screen display and an attached cooling cap. The cap is fitted to the head and temperature-regulated coolant continuously circulates through specially designed channels in the cooling cap.
Scalp cooling limits the amount of chemotherapy agent delivered to the hair follicles. This causes cellular activity in the localized scalp area to slow dramatically. With these two reactions, the follicles absorb fewer chemotherapy agents and hair loss is significantly reduced.
Scalp cooling is effective with many chemotherapy drugs, but not all. A doctor can determine if scalp cooling is compatible with a treatment.
St. Joseph’s Hospital-South opened in February 2015. Part of BayCare Health System, St. Joseph’s Hospital-South features all-private patient suites and offers emergency care, surgical services, imaging, intensive care, obstetrics, an NICU, cardiac catheterization and more in a peaceful, relaxing and family-centered environment. Located south of Tampa in Riverview, the all-digital, state-of-the-art facility is specially designed to make patients and visitors as comfortable as possible during their hospital experience.
Learn more about St. Joseph’s Hospital-South’s infusion center at https://baycare.org/hospitals/st-josephs-hospital-south/services/cancer.
