Ovarian Cancer?

my friend starts chemo tomorrow, is it gaureenteed her hair will fall out? she seems to be in denial about it. i told her i would go with to pick a wig out but she is determined it wont happen to her.

It is certain that your friend will loose all her hair and will become bald after chemotheraphy. But the hair will grow back to the original position in about year's time. for details on how Chemo is given what are the possibilities of hair loss, please read below. Just leave her as she wants and do not talk about this to her as it would be giving mental and moral tension to her.

Ovarian cancer is sometimes treated with IP chemotherapy because this type of cancer usually stays within a confined area. This type of therapy is only suitable for some patients. Ovarian cancer patients whose tumors have a diameter greater than two centimeters may not receive this therapy because the anticancer drug does not reach very far into the tumor. Also, patients whose cancers are resistant to certain drugs may not undergo IP therapy. Patients with smaller tumors, or those who show response to chemotherapy are better candidates.

Drugs used in IP chemotherapy include cisplatin, paclitaxel, floxuridine, 5-FU, mitoxantrone, carboplatin, and alfa-interferon.

Most of the chemotherapy drugs cause hair loss, but it is almost always temporary. Hair re-growth may not begin until several weeks have passed since the final treatment. This is the most common impact that chemotherapy has on the outer surfaces of the body. In some patients, an ice wrap, called an ice turban, can reduce hair loss. The effectiveness will depend on factors such as the type of drug, dose, and treatment schedule. This preventive treatment must be avoided by patients with leukemia, lymphoma, mycosis fungoides or by those with scalp tumors. People should use with caution if they have conditions such as vasculitis, cryoglobulinemia or a history of radiation to the head. Patients should discuss the ice turban treatment with their doctor before trying it.- Source(s): -http://www.answers.com/topic/chemotherap...

Hey there, very sorry to hear about your friend, and I will keep her in my prayers. As for her hair, it depends on the kind of radiation they use. My grandmother had ovarian cancer, and her hair fell out, but they had to use heavy radation on her because the cancer had spread pretty badly. Good luck to your friend, also, just a note, if she has long hair and is worried about her hair falling out, maybe she could cut off some of her hair and donate it to Locks of Love, a charity for cancer patients. Just an idea. =)
There is no "guarantee" that a person's hair will or will not fall out during chemotherapy. It really depends on the drug they're given.

When I interviewed the senior oncologist from one of the local hospitals (I do freelance writing for a local health magazine), he told me that these days, they have advanced chemo drugs that are very targeted (i.e. they attack just the cancer cells and not all healthy cells). With these drugs, side effects are reduced.

So if your friend is taking one of these drugs (they are very expensive though - approximately $100+ per pill, according to the oncologist), she might not experience the side effect of hair falling out.
Standard regimen for adjuvant chemo (after surgery) of ovarian cancer is carbo/cis-platin alone or combined with paclitaxel every 20 days.

Some people will lose their hair on that treatment, some not. My best friend began losing big time after her 3rd chemo session. She shaved it because it was too thin and she was really bugged about having hair all over the place. We all began teasing her for imitating Britney Spears and asking her when she was going to have her tatoo done :-). Her own dad started calling her 'baldy' ! In her case, her main worry was that she did not want to be the object of pity from other people.

I think that's the best way to cope with this, try to de-dramatize it. Having chemo is about fighting for your life. Hair grows back.
Best friend is undergoing chemo for ovarian cancer
You can help her. A good diet, some exercise can help.
Ginger is a great weapon against ovarian cancer