Patients like Karen have a greater sense of control during their care, thanks to the arrival of cold cap therapy that helps to prevent hair loss during chemotherapy.

Because of incredible support from people like you, more patients can now choose to receive treatment to prevent hair loss during their chemotherapy. Ten new cold caps along with three new cooling systems are now available to patients who can choose the therapy during their chemotherapy infusion.

This simple therapy consists of a cap attached to a cooling system, which circulates coolant liquid around the inner cap, reducing the temperature of the scalp. This helps to protect the hair follicles and limits the damage caused by chemotherapy drugs.

Karen, from Uppingham in Rutland was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in May 2024. “It was out of the blue, a complete shock. I went into a spiral, googling everything to find out what was going to happen,” she recalls.

During her extensive research Karen found out about the cold cap therapy and asked about them during her initial appointment. “The breast care nurses explained how it would work, and the oncology nurse sent me a link to the website, which had videos and stories about the therapy” Karen explained.

Karen is an A Level Biology Teacher, and this fuelled her need to understand the therapy in detail. She felt able to make an informed choice about something that felt deeply personal. “When you think about cancer, you think about hair loss. It’s not the be all and end all, but I didn’t want to be just someone with cancer. I wanted to meet friends and walk down the street without people staring and saying, ‘That’s the lady with cancer.’”

Clair Burroughs is a Macmillan Lead Systematic Anti-Cancer Treatment (SACT) Nurse and emphasised the importance of providing patients with options like cold cap therapy. “It’s about mitigating the psychological impact that hair loss can have on patients. It’s valuable and empowering to give patients a choice, especially during a time when they don’t feel like they have many options.”

Kerry, a Clinical Aid explained, “It feels good to give patients the choice of cold cap therapy. It feels like we can give them a small sense of normality by offering a therapy that helps to reduce the possibility of hair loss – something that a lot of people struggle to come to terms with.”

It’s been several weeks since Karen first began her treatment, and the therapy is working, Karen has been able to keep her hair.

It is because of your generosity that patients like Karen can keep hold of their identity, giving them the strength to carry on fighting.