Alopecia, chemotherapy-induced

Sato N, Leopold PL, Crystal RG (2001) Effect of adenovirus-mediated expression of Sonic hedgehog gene on hair regrowth in mice with chemotherapy-induced alopecia. J Natl Cancer Inst 93(24) 1858-1864... 

Jayde V, Boughton M, Blomfield P. The experience of chemotherapy-induced alopecia for Australian women with ovarian cancer. Eur J... 

Lemieux, J., Maunsell, E. Provencher, L. (2008). Chemotherapy-induced alopecia and effects on quality of life among women with breast cancer a literature review. Psycho. Oncology., 77(4), 317-328. 

Oxidative stress reduces the rate of cell proliferation, and that occurring during chemotherapy may interfere with the cytotoxic effects of antineoplastic drugs, which depend on rapid proliferation of cancer cells for optimal activity. Antioxidants detoxify ROS and may enhance the anticancer effects of chemotherapy. For some supplements, activities beyond their antioxidant properties, such as inhibition of topoisomerase II or protein tyrosine kinases, may also contribute. ROS cause or contribute to certain side effects that are common to many anticancer drugs, such as gastrointestinal toxicity and muagenesis. ROS also contribute to side effects that occur only with individual agents, such as doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, and bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Antioxidants can reduce or prevent many of these side effects, and for some supplements the protective effect results from activities other than their antioxidant properties. Certain side effects, however, such as alopecia and myelosuppression, are not prevented... 

Alopecia induced by physical stress has been termed trichotillomania. This condition occurs from physically pulling or twisting a localized area of hair until noticeable thinning develops. This type of hair loss sometimes occurs in children who unconsciously pull or twist a region of hair. A similar type of hair loss may also occur in adults. Telogen effluvium is a term used to describe a sudden but diffuse hair loss caused by an acute physical or psychological stress. This condition usually lasts only a few months and is reversible. Drugs used in chemotherapy often induce alopecia however, this type of hair loss is also usually reversible and the new hair after chemotherapy can be of a different curvature or color. 

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