A 70-year-old man has used a ground-breaking scalp cooling treatment to keep his hair during chemotherapy.
Peter Kendrick, from Great Yarmouth, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in August 2017.
After being told about scalp cooling, he decided to give it a go in a bid to keep his full head of hair.
Mr Kendrick was treated at James Paget University Hospital (JPUH) where he wore the Paxman scalp cooling system before, during and after his chemotherapy sessions.
Although the 70-year-old did lose a few strands of hair he said it wasn’t noticeable.
“My moustache thinned out significantly and I didn’t have to shave it as much, which proved that without the cap I would definitely have lost my hair,” he said.
“I would always wear the cold cap for any future chemo treatments, and I would definitely recommend it to other people who are having chemotherapy.
“Keeping your hair makes a huge difference to the way you feel, and the way others perceive you.
“You just have to persevere through the first 10 minutes, but it is totally worth it.”
The state-of-the-art technology works by lowering scalp temperature before, during and after the administration of chemotherapy.
Liquid coolant passes through the cap extracting heat from the patient’s scalp, ensuring the scalp remains at an even, constant temperature to minimise hair loss.
Hair loss is a well-known side effect of many chemotherapy regimens and is rated in the top three most feared side effects for men undergoing the treatment.
Cancer services lead at JPUH Angie Fenn, said: “Our focus is on ensuring we provide our patients with the best possible care.
“We know that the side effects of chemotherapy, such as hair loss, can be distressing for some patients – so we are always keen to embrace any innovation that can help reduce its impact.”
The Paxman system is available at 95pc of hospitals across the UK.
It is the world-leading hair loss prevention system for chemotherapy patients and has been used by over 100,000 people in 32 countries.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK with over 35,000 - one in four men - diagnosed each year.
It has now overtaken breast cancer as the biggest cancer killer.
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