Mount Sinai offers ‘Cold-Cap’ therapy for breast cancer patients

Hair loss is one of the most psychologically distressing adverse effects of chemotherapy for patients and Mount Sinai South Nassau Breast Health Services is offering the DigniCap System to provide scalp-cooling therapy to eligible patients to reduce hair loss during chemotherapy for breast cancer and alleviate the negative influence it can have on patients’ emotions and outlook.

Cold-cap therapy has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reduce hair loss from some chemotherapy drugs. Minimizing hair loss helps patients improve their quality of life and self-esteem while undergoing treatment. Studies have shown that cold-cap therapy can prevent hair loss in 66 percent of patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy and is well tolerated by most patients. Cold-cap therapy is initiated prior to the start of each chemotherapy session. The DigniCap System’s silicone cooling cap is placed on the patient’s head. The therapy decreases blood flow through the scalp, limiting the amount of chemotherapy that reaches the hair follicles and reducing the risk of chemotherapy-induced hair loss.

“We want to treat the whole patient and offering this service is part of our commitment to provide our patients with comprehensive and compassionate care,” said Rajiv Datta, Cancer Program Medical Director at Mount Sinai South Nassau. “It is our hope that cold-cap therapy will instill our patients with encouragement and an optimistic outlook during their treatment journey.”

The hospital is committed to ensuring no patient is denied access to cold-cap therapy due to cost concerns. The Rockville Centre Breast Cancer Coalition has pledged $15,000 per year for the next three years to support Mount Sinai’s Breast Health Services cold-cap therapy program.

“On behalf of the Board of the Rockville Centre Breast Cancer Coalition, we are thrilled to partner with Mount Sinai South Nassau to help women in our community diagnosed with cancer,” said Kathy Baxley, Co-Vice President of Outreach for the coalition. “This donation will help ensure that eligible women needing chemotherapy for breast cancer have access to this important treatment.”

In addition to the coalition’s pledge, the hospital has set aside a portion of the money raised by its annual golf outing to cover costs for these preventive services that may be denied by patients’ health insurance.

“Breast cancer can be an emotionally devastating diagnosis and the cold-cap program helps give hope to women who are undergoing chemotherapy treatment,” said Anthony Cancellieri, Co-Chair of Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Board of Directors. “We don’t want to turn any woman away because of the cost, so donating some of the golf outing proceeds was an easy call to make. We are pleased to support this initiative.”

The coalition’s pledge will help fund the leasing of two Dignicap systems as well as the silicone caps worn by the patients.

“We are grateful for the coalition’s pledge and commitment to our patients and the communities we serve,” said Adhi Sharma, Mount Sinai South Nassau’s President. “We look forward to collaborating with the coalition on this essential service to ensure that it is available to all eligible patients, regardless of cost concerns.”