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Hair Loss & Chemo?/


Donna

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How long after the chemo does the hair fall out? Mark has had 3 rounds so far, and no hair loss yet..Is this a good sign? Does the hair usually fall out immediately?? So far he has had no side effects..I am hoping this will be the case all the way through..He has chemo again in 3 weeks, 3 days straight..Please share your thoughts, they are all appreciated..

Donna :wink:

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I was told it would be a couple of weeks...14-15 days after the first chemo. My onc was right on the money.

It depends on the person though, and the chemo. What chemo is Mark on? For small cell, I assume it's probably carboplatin or cisplatin and etoposide (VP-16).

Some people thin out but don't lose their hair. Others turn into billiard balls. When mine began to come out in clumps....I had a friend shave my head. I sort of regret it now...because I had such a thick head of hair I'm not sure I'd have lost it all.

If Mark still has his after three cycles of chemo...he should consider himself lucky! There's a lot of women here who weren't near so blessed when it comes to the ol' follicles! :wink:

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I took carboplatin and Etopside. I had chemo for 3 days, waited 3 weeks and had 3 more etc. Mine began to come out exactly 3 weeks after the first treatment. It was coming out in clumps so I had my husband clip my head with shears. I am glad I did because I had bald spots as large as golf balls all over my head. At least it stopped falling out in the shower (which bothered me a great deal) and in the bed. I hope you continue to have good luck. If you could tell us what kind of chemo etc it would help.

Nina

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Mom's hair thinned out a little from the chemo but it never fell out. The preventive brain radiation (PCI) she had done was a different matter altogether - she pretty much lost all of her hair. It grew back a more uniformly coloured grey and was baby soft (it had been more wiry before).

Her oncologist really expected her to lose her hair during the chemo. It just goes to show what role our own body chemistry plays in all of this.

Kel

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Did anyone have pain in the lung with the tumor? Mark has pain in the one lung..Is this expected? I know this site is about SCLC, so I thought you guys would have some insight..This only started since the treatment..

God Bless,

Donna :wink:

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I had Carboplatin & Etoposide initially, and never lost my hair from the chemo. The PCI (radiation) got it though, and left me with a very unattractive Mohawk hairdo! :oops:

It's coming back now, and seems to be about like it was before -- even about the same amount of gray! Once I'm done with the Topotecan regimen, if it's still growing, I'll probably have it evened out with the clippers once more, and then graduate from this red cap I wear every day!

As to pain, I only had pain when I was first diagnosed. I had pneumonia and the tumor, and had fairly intense pain for several days. Once they began to treat the pneumonia and I started chemo and it started working on the tumor, the pain subsided. After a few months, I could lay on my right side again. Now, I have no pain whatsoever in my lungs,and all my scans & x-rays show continued improvement, even in the scarring that was created by the radiation.

Di

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Oh, gosh. Forgive me for assuming everyone knows all these terms! PCI means "prophylactic cranial irradiation" - it's brain radiation in a lower dose, and fewer treatments than WBR (whole brain radiation).

It's given quite often to SCLC patients whose lungs/chest have been cleared of tumor after chemotherapy. Studies show a significant decrease in brain mets when PCI is done following chemo and chest radiation. (Drugs don't go through the brain like they do the rest of the body, so the PCI is more or less a preventive measure to sort of "clean up" the brain of any stray cells that may be lurking.)

If you go to the "Ask the Experts" section, I bet you can get a lot better (and more) info than what I have.

Di

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Donna:

I have had 4 infusions of Carboplatin and Etoposide and have had few side effects. My hair has thinned somewhat, but that only lasted a couple of weeks. Everyone reacts to the chemotherapy in their own way. My other side effects are mouth sores (which are rare) and swollen ankles, which NOBODY has ever heard of. Perhaps the best is yet to come - only time will tell. Best of luck!

"Uncle" Doug

Tacoma, WA

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I am so grateful for all the posts..I will share all the info with my brother..You are all great, I have had so many questions and concerns and thanks to all of you I always feel so much better after I read all the posts..

God Bless :wink:

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