Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia by Docetaxel: Prevalence, Treatment and Prevention.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review without systematic search or quantitative synthesis
PubMed 39330051 · doi:10.3390/curroncol31090423
What was done
This narrative review summarizes literature regarding the mechanisms, prevalence, prevention, and treatment of docetaxel-induced chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) and persistent chemotherapy-induced alopecia (pCIA), as well as translational preclinical models.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data, prevalence statistics, or effect estimates. It qualitatively notes that docetaxel causes cell death in scalp hair follicles resulting in CIA and pCIA (incomplete regrowth at six months post-chemotherapy). Scalp cooling is identified as the current standard of care for prevention, while minoxidil, photobiomodulation therapy, and platelet-rich plasma are highlighted as options to promote regrowth.
Why it matters
Docetaxel is standard therapy across multiple solid malignancies, and resulting hair loss significantly impairs quality of life and adherence. The review collates current clinical strategies and preclinical models aimed at developing targeted therapies.
Limits
As a narrative review, it presents no original clinical data or systematic synthesis. The abstract provides no quantitative figures on the incidence of persistent hair loss or the comparative efficacy of the discussed interventions.
Cited by
- supports Chemotherapy drugs kill rapidly proliferating normal cells in the body, such as hair and skin cells.