Alopecia and cancers: From basics to clinical practice

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Alopecia and cancers: From basics to clinical practice Via Association française pour l'étude du cancer Bull Cancer. 2021 Jul 22:S0007-4551(21)00209-5. doi: 10.1016/j.bulcan.2021.04.011. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Alopecia, although long considered an unavoidable consequence of cancer therapy, currently presents a multifaceted challenge. The knowledge of the physiology of the hair and consequently of the pathophysiology of alopecia has led to show that there is not one but several types of alopecia. Transposed to the world of oncology, different types of alopecia and subsequently molecular pathways have been characterized, allowing a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Thus, in patients with cancer, alopecia can be iatrogenic (chemotherapies, endocrine therapies, targeted therapies, immunotherapies, radiotherapy, surgery) or directly the consequence of the disease itself (malnutrition, scalp metastases, paraneoplastic syndromes). Knowledge of the incriminated mechanism(s) could thus make it possible to deploy an appro priate care component, whether on the preventive or curative sides or in terms of supportive care. These are particularly essential regarding the psychological repercussions caused by alopecia, with significant consequences on the quality of life of patients and with a potential impact on treatment compliance. On the preventive side, the last few years have seen the advent of the automated scalp cooling therapy, supported by several randomized clinical trials. On the curative side, several therapeutic proposals are currently deployed or under development in order to provide relevant treatments. PMID:34304865 | DOI: 10.1016/j.bulcan.2021.04.011 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.