[Tracy J]

Re: Scalp cooling to prevent hair loss from chemotherapy

by Tracy J on Sun Aug 16, 2015 9:18 am

Boston Medical Center routinely has patients pack their mouths with ice during auto stem cell transplant for AL amyloidosis, in order to reduce the rates of mouth sores post-transplant. This includes (especially) between the teeth and the lips / cheeks. It's the same idea – constrict the blood vessel going to the mucous membranes, reduce the amount of chemo going there -> fewer sores. It works.

I presume that the cooler / colder you manage to get the tissues, the better it works. Infusion of the melphalan during SCT takes about 20 minutes, and you pack ice for at least 15 minutes before and after, so you are looking at a total of about an hour of ice packed in your mouth, on two days in a row.

Try it. This was the singular worst physical experience of my life – 7 bone marrow biopsies in­cluded. That's right, I'd rather have a bone marrow biopsy than pack my mouth with ice for an hour.

[gardengirl]

Re: Scalp cooling to prevent hair loss from chemotherapy

by gardengirl on Sun Aug 16, 2015 1:34 pm

Thanks everyone! And thank you, barryo for the link. You just saved me $600! I was hoping to try it, but if it's not recommended for myeloma, then never mind (I was hoping it would also help with my hot flashes, lol!)

[Rhonda]

Re: Scalp cooling to prevent hair loss from chemotherapy

by Rhonda on Sun Aug 16, 2015 2:59 pm

Based on what has been posted, is it okay to chew ice during treatment of high dose melphalan for myeloma? I will be receiving high dose melphalan next Saturday in preparation of my SCT.

I hear people use ice chewing quite often to try and stop mouth sores. Any thoughts?

Thanks
Rhonda

[Eric Hofacket]

Re: Scalp cooling to prevent hair loss from chemotherapy

by Eric Hofacket on Mon Aug 17, 2015 10:24 pm

Rhonda,

From what I have seen, the chewing ice chips while having melphalan for a SCT is pretty com­mon. They had me do this at City of Hope, and I did not have any mouth sores thankfully. I heard from others they can be a real miserable complication to deal with, and I am thankful I do not know what they are like to have.

Bring it up with the center doing your transplant; I would not be surprised if they tell you it is stan­dard operating procedure.

Best wishes,

Eric

[Eric Hofacket]

Re: Scalp cooling to prevent hair loss from chemotherapy

by Eric Hofacket on Mon Aug 17, 2015 10:33 pm

Would myeloma cells be expected to be found in the scalp tissue? I thought they were con­fined to the bone marrow except in cases of plasma cell leukemia. I could see concern about mye­lo­ma cells in the bone marrow in the skull and not wanting to cool the skull.

I know my imaging results show bone lesions in my skull, so I had plasma cells there at one time (and probably still do). Lots of others have skull lesions. Not doing scalp cooling for those with myeloma seems to be a good idea.

Eric