Doctors discover hair-loss prevention drug for cancer patients

[lizzybeth]

Bless you all who have survived cancer; I'm going to wear the yellow livestrong bracelet for sure. I never reallized how devastating cancer is until it has struck my beloved father and my cute husband.

My husband was really helped by the NIH doctor up there in Virginia. SHE, yes she, called him on a Sunday to confirm his diagnosis.

:blowkiss:

Marthatex, I thought you were in TX. Funny that you reiterated that the doctor was female. The head of the pediatric oncology/hematology study that I was in was headed by a female doctor, Dr. Nancy McWilliams. I remember thinking at the time what a mean old lady she was. LOL. Not much bedside manner especially with children.

Idaho4groenes, I'm sorry about your mother. I can't imagine how hard it is losing your mom.

Beckylynn, my sister had breast cancer and it was sweet and sad at the same time but her husband helped her shave her head. She wore floppy hats too. She bought a wig but she hated wearing them because they were so hot. I have a friend battling liver cancer right now and she bought two or three wigs in different colors and is enjoying being able to be a red head one day and a brunette the next. Wigs have come a long way. Some you can't even tell.

 

[Marthatex]

Marthatex, I thought you were in TX. Funny that you reiterated that the doctor was female. The head of the pediatric oncology/hematology study that I was in was headed by a female doctor, Dr. Nancy McWilliams. I remember thinking at the time what a mean old lady she was. LOL. Not much bedside manner especially with children.

Idaho4groenes, I'm sorry about your mother. I can't imagine how hard it is losing your mom.

Beckylynn, my sister had breast cancer and it was sweet and sad at the same time but her husband helped her shave her head. She wore floppy hats too. She bought a wig but she hated wearing them because they were so hot. I have a friend battling liver cancer right now and she bought two or three wigs in different colors and is enjoying being able to be a red head one day and a brunette the next. Wigs have come a long way. Some you can't even tell.

I am in Texas; they sent his slides of to NIH for second opinion. They're good.

Mayo may have misdiagnosed 5 years ago.

 

[butterfly blue]

I was diagnosed in March of this year, I had gone to see my Dr. a female for something minor, she decided that I should have a full medical, it was then I had my diagnosis. It was one of those sentences you never want to hear!!! But my family, my kids, my husband I could see what the news had done to them, so I am going to march through this with all the strengh I have. I had surgery which cleared it all, a PET scan showed it was only in the one place. As a sort of insurance I decided to have the chemo to zap anything that may be dormant, I am now in my 3rd week of Chemo, I have Cisplatin & Nebraphine (sp?) one week, then following week Neprephine on its own, then a week off. I read with interest about the hair!!! I have thick blond shoulder lengh hair, the information from the hospital states that in rare cases (about 1 in 10) have considerable hair loss, others may experience hair thinning with the 2 chemo medications I have, I really hope I keep just a bit of mine!!!

Most of the women I have seen at my hospital visits wear small hats with pretty silk scarves, rather than a wig.

I would say to anyone in the same situation, be positive, think of Kylie Minogue, Sharon Osborne okay these ladies are rich, but I am sure the treatment would have been much the same. They are just 2 of the famous who have come through this, I think it is the actual word that strikes terror.

This drug to reduce hair loss would certianly make the treatment a little more tolerable.

 

[SewingDeb]

SewingDeb, I've tried. The doctors that were in charge have passed away. It was a teaching hospital so most of the other doctors were interns and have moved on to their own practices. I've contacted MCV through e-mail and never go a response. I just figured after all this long they probably have many more successful cases. I haven't even been able to contact the local oncologist that saw me between treatments at MCV. I guess I've waited too late. Thirty-four years is a long time.

I've never heard of anyone's hair changing, at least not permanently, when pregnant. Mine looked better but I figured that was due to taking better care of my health. That's strange. I wonder if there are other cases?

You've tried to bring them up to date and that's all you can do.

Re the hair changes after giving birth. I wonder if there are other cases,too...and how that happens. What could cause it? My family is the only one I have heard of in my almost 54 years. I posted it hoping someone else on the forum has had the same experience.

I know many women say their shoe size went up. Mine did...lol.

 

[SewingDeb]

I found this:

Hair changes
Pregnancy can do many different things to your hair -- some good and some not so good. If you have naturally curly hair, you may notice that it becomes straighter when you're pregnant. After you deliver, it will probably go back to being curly, although not always.

http://www.drspock.com/article/0,1510,4519,00.html

Maybe in my family the hair changes are just more extreme. It happened gradually over several weeks after giving birth for both me and my sister.

 

[Marthatex]

Mine turned dry like straw after my second delivery; didn't know if it was the epidural or the delivery.