“Appearance Care” Changes to Hair Following Cancer Treatment and Subsequent Patient Support

Abstract

There have been some remarkable developments in the progress of cancer treatment and in developing infrastructures for outpatient treatment environments. As a result, the five-year survival rate has risen for all types of cancer, and 325,000 cancer patients now undergo outpatient treatment while still holding jobs. However, such patients can have a very difficult time interacting with society due to the changes in physical appearance that accompany cancer treatment. A patient might wonder whether his or her physical appearance would reveal his or her illness, fueling concerns that it would then become impossible to maintain equal relationships as before. In this paper, I consider patient support from the perspective of “hair loss,” which is ranked as the top physical symptom of concern for many cancer patients. I first introduce what is currently known about treatments that result in changes to hair and haircare treatments that can be used during hair loss. I then cover some important points for physicians when supporting patients with actual appearance care.