CANTON, Ohio (Nov. 3, 2021) – Aultman Hospital is the first in Stark County to offer the Paxman Scalp Cooling System – also known as “cold cap” – to help reduce hair loss for patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment.

Chemotherapy works by targeting all rapidly dividing cells, and hair cells are the second-fastest-dividing cells in the body, which is why many chemotherapy drugs cause hair loss. Scalp cooling technology can alleviate the damage caused to the hair follicles by reducing the temperature of the scalp by a few degrees before, during and after chemotherapy treatment. This cooling causes constriction in the scalp’s blood vessels, which reduces blood flow and the number of chemotherapy agents that reach the hair follicles.

“To me, it only felt cold the first minute, then everything felt normal,” said Nicole Tatarides, the first patient at Aultman Hospital to use the Paxman cold cap system. After learning the treatment was available, she made the decision to try it after talking to her hairdresser.

“I have a standing appointment. I called my hairdresser and told her I might have to cancel, but I had a chance to try this. She told me she had clients who had great results and to do it.” Tatarides is optimistic about the treatment, which she will use at each of her next chemotherapy treatment sessions.

Chemotherapy-induced hair loss is widely recognized as the most feared side effect associated with cancer treatment. The success rate for scalp cooling is up to 70% for some chemotherapy regimens. It is lower for other regimens, but there is evidence that scalp cooling encourages faster, healthier and stronger regrowth than would occur without scalp cooling.

The treatment is safe and relatively easy to tolerate. The most common side effect is a minor headache caused by the cooling. Research shows that scalp cooling does not affect cancer treatment.

Information about financial assistance for scalp cooling is available here.

About Paxman
Paxman develops and offers the market leading Paxman Scalp Cooling System used to minimize hair loss in connection with chemotherapy treatment.  Scalp cooling treatment has strong clinical support and is a fully established therapy in many countries throughout the world. Presently, the system is available at a large number of cancer centers in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia. With more than 4,000 delivered systems to over 50 international markets, Paxman is the leading player in its field.

Paxman was founded as a family business by Glenn Paxman following his wife Sue Paxman’s hair loss in connection with chemotherapy treatment for cancer. The Paxman Scalp Cooling System is a self-contained, mobile, electrically powered cooling unit, which circulates liquid coolant at low pressure through a special cooling cap on the patient’s head. The circulation of the refrigerated coolant through the cap extracts heat from the patient’s scalp maintaining temperature.

Each cooling unit has an integrated touch screen with a menu-controlled, graphic user interface that makes it easy for healthcare staff to initiate, monitor and complete the scalp cooling process. The associated Paxman cold cap is made from lightweight, biocompatible silicone that is soft and flexible, providing an optimal fit for the patient.

Indication
Paxman Scalp Cooling System is indicated to reduce the likelihood of chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) in cancer patients with solid tumors such as ovarian, breast, colorectal and prostate cancer.

About Aultman Health Foundation
The Aultman Health Foundation is a not-for-profit health care organization serving Stark and surrounding counties. The integrated health care system includes Aultman Hospital, Aultman Orrville Hospital, Aultman Alliance Community Hospital, the locally managed health insurance provider AultCare, The Aultman Foundation and Aultman College. With 1,032 beds, over 1,000 providers and a team of more than 7,000 employees, Aultman is Stark County's largest provider of health care services. For more information, visit www.aultman.org.