JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – New medical technology in Jacksonville hospitals is reducing the amount of hair loss for people undergoing chemotherapy.
The scalp cooling system treatment uses a cooling cap to reduce the amount of chemotherapy medication that reaches hair follicles during chemo.
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Scalp cooling is offered at the Mayo Clinic and hospitals across the country.
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Mother of four, Brielle Nelson, never imagined at 33-years-old she’d be fighting stage 1B breast cancer.
Doctors encouraged Nelson to undergo chemotherapy to beat it.
“Obviously the first thing that runs across your mind is chemotherapy, that’s a pretty toxic drug I’m going to lose my hair. I’ve got little kids at home, how is this going to impact my life,” said Nelson.
Nearly 65 percent of people experience hair loss while undergoing chemotherapy.
Paxman Scalp Cooling is one of its largest manufacturers and works with the Mayo Clinic to provide services to patients in Jacksonville and in other states.
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Nelson learned about scalp cooling from her doctor and began treatment earlier this year, to keep normalcy for herself and her family.
“I think it is just reassuring that mommy may lose her hair it may get thinner, but she may be able to keep a little bit of it,” Nelson said.
That reassurance is what strengthens Nelson to continue doing the most important job to her.
“My goal as a mother is always to protect my kids and make sure that they are as well taken care of as possible,” she said.
One step and treatment at a time.