DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital First in Michigan to Use Unique Device to Help Chemotherapy Induced Hair Loss

Commerce Township- The Charach Cancer Treatment Center at DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital is the first in the state to treat patients with a portable device designed to help reduce hair loss for patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy-induced hair loss can deeply affect the self-esteem and emotional well-being of cancer patients. The device, the Amma Portable Scalp Cooling Cap, is the first portable scalp cooling device to reduce hair loss. It provides an innovative way to protect patients’ hair, giving them a sense of control and privacy during a vulnerable time.

This portable, easy-to-use scalp cooling device works by reducing blood flow to hair follicles, minimizing exposure to chemotherapy drugs, and thus reducing the risk of hair loss. Because its portable, instead of being confined to a chair in the treatment area, patients can be mobile and leave the infusion chair to complete their scalp cooling therapy anywhere in the infusion center.

Paula Loch of Farmington Hill was the first patient in Michigan to be treated with the device. In July after undergoing a routine mammogram, a lump was discovered in her left breast. The ensuing biopsy showed that Paula had a form of breast cancer known as triple negative invasive ductal carcinoma. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a rare type of breast cancer. It accounts for 15% of all breast cancer cases.

Unlike most breast cancer types, triple-negative breast cancer cells don’t have the receptors or proteins that help cancer grow and spread. Chemotherapy is the most common treatment. Paula was willing to do whatever it takes to treat her disease and keep it from coming back but disliked the idea of losing her hair as a result of the chemo. Paula underwent her first chemotherapy treatment in September and at the same time had her first treatment with the portable cooling cap.

Accredited by the American College of Radiology for Radiation Oncology Practice, the Charach Cancer Treatment Center is committed to providing complete services for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Cancer treatment physicians, nurses and support staff provide comprehensive and compassionate cancer care in a single, convenient location.