Faculty Bibliography

Chemotherapy-induced alopecia and radiation-induced alopecia, the thinning or loss of hair due to cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiation therapy, respectively, are distressing adverse effects of cancer treatment. Chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and radiation therapy used in pediatric oncology often lead to alopecia by damaging hair follicles, with varying degrees of severity depending on the specific treatment type, mechanism of action, and damage-response pathway involved. Pediatric chemotherapy-induced alopecia, radiation-induced alopecia, and permanent alopecia, defined as hair regrowth that remains incomplete 6 months or more after treatment, have significant negative impacts on mental health, self-esteem, and social interactions, highlighting the need for further research into supportive care strategies. There are currently no standard interventions for chemotherapy-induced alopecia or radiation-induced alopecia in children, with most recommendations limited to gentle hair care and camouflaging techniques during treatment. Scalp cooling has demonstrated safety and efficacy in reducing chemotherapy-induced alopecia in adults and is currently under investigation in children and adolescents. Topical and low-dose oral minoxidil have been studied in children for other hair loss disorders and may improve hair regrowth after chemotherapy or radiation. Increased awareness and continued research into management strategies for pediatric chemotherapy-induced alopecia and radiation-induced alopecia are necessary to help mitigate its significant negative impact on quality of life.

BACKGROUND:Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) affects at least 80% of men and 50% of women by age 70. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a non-ablative fractional laser (NAFL) in treating AGA and enhancing hair appearance on the scalp in male and female patients. METHODS:This was a single-center, retrospective, observational study. Case files of all subjects, who were treated for improvement of scalp hair appearance using a 1565-nm NAFL at LaserMed Clinic (Lublin, Poland) between February 24, 2020, and January 31, 2023, were reviewed for study inclusion. The authors were not involved in the administration of treatments but reviewed the data that were obtained for the study. Digital images taken before and following laser treatment were gathered and blindly evaluated by non-treating physicians for quality of results. The study's primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of image sets correctly classified as before and after treatment. Success was defined as correct identification of the posttreatment image as the image demonstrating scalp hair growth and clinical improvement by at least two out of three blinded reviewers. Safety was evaluated based on the incidence of adverse events or safety issues. RESULTS:A total of 132 patients were included in the study, of whom 98 patients had photos of adequate quality for assessing device efficacy. The overall success rate of correct identification of before and after images among the 98a evaluable patients was 96.9% (95% confidence interval: 91.4%-98.5%) and remained consistently high (> 95%) across the evaluated subgroups (patients with AGA, patients with unknown type of alopecia, males and females). No adverse events were documented in the clinic records for the 132 subjects included. CONCLUSIONS:NAFL is a safe and effective method for promoting visible hair growth and improving the appearance of scalp hair.