Principles of Scalp cooling

  • Causes vasoconstriction in the scalp
  • Reduced metabolic activity in hair follicle
  • Minimizes hair loss

PSCS Scalp Cooling System

" Minimising hairloss during Chemotheraphy "

What is it ?

  • Hair loss is undoubtedly one of the most distressing side effects of chemotherapy. Preventing or reducing hair loss by scalp cooling can result in a patient’s increased self confidence and positive attitude – widely recognized as beneficial in the fight against cancer.

How it works ?

  • The Paxman scalp cooler comprises of a powerful refrigerated cooling system which rapidly reduces the temperature of a liquid coolant to a pre-set temperature. When this temperature has been reached, electronic sensors monitor and control the system. The coolant is pumped, at low pressure, through a scalp cooling cap. The scalp temperature is reduced to an optimum level.
  • By lowering the temperature of the scalp and inducing hypothermia the blood flow reduces at the hair follicle and also the chemical reaction rates are reduced. Reduced perfusion leads to less cytotoxic drugs available for uptake, while the reduced temperature decreases uptake of and damage by chemotherapy. Altogether, less damage is done to the hair follicle cells, and the risk of alopecia is reduced.


How does the treatment go?





The PSCS Scalp Cooling System

  • The Cooling & Control Unit and the Cooling Caps are part of a closed looped system. The Cooling Unit is enclosed within the Control Unit and together they constitute a compact and easily mobile cabinet. The system is operated through standardised software, facilitating usability and easy maintenance. All necessary programming is easily done on the system touch screen. Patient data can be saved directly on disc and kept for patient journals and/or clinical studies.
  • The Cooling & Control Unit gradually decreases the cap temperature at the initial phase of the treatment, in order to slowly and more comfortably adjust the patient’s normal scalp temperature to the treatment temperature. This is a unique and highly appreciated feature of PSCS.
  • The scalp is cooled by circulating a coolant through the cooling cap with independently controlled cooling sections. The system facilitates a reduction of the scalp temperature during the chemotherapy treatment period and maintains a controlled constant epicutaneous scalp temperature of +5 degrees C during the entire treatment period.
  • The PSCS system has two separate cooling circuits, hence facilitating individual treatment protocols and therefore optimizing results.

Clinical Advantages

    Many Indian and international studies have suggested that 50% of the patients would not require a wig at the end of anthracycline therapy and around 70% of the patients would not require a wig with taxane therapy.