For many women of color, hairstyles such as braids and Afros are central to identity, but lifesaving chemotherapy can also come with elevated risks of permanent hair loss. That”™s why Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center (MECC) has undertaken a clinical trial, aimed at fighting chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) in Black and Latina women by testing a new specialized hair technique during “scalp cooling.””¯
Kicking off during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the study will focus on 30 women undergoing a common “first-line” chemotherapy for breast, lung and gynecologic cancers, among the most common in the communities Montefiore serves. The first of these women, Altagrace Pelissier, is a Westchester County resident. The investigators have also partnered with a local hairstylist to perform on-site hair preparation and assist patients like Pelissier with styling.
Researchers aim to resolve science’s longstanding inability to prevent hair loss in diverse patient populations and ensure concerns over hair loss won”™t cause women to avoid what might be their most effective cancer treatment.
