PHILADELPHIA (May 6, 2019) – Fox Chase Cancer Center will be the first cancer center in Philadelphia, along with other top cancer institutions in the US, to offer the PAXMAN Scalp Cooling System, a groundbreaking intervention that reduces hair loss caused by chemotherapy.
PAXMAN is the leading global supplier of Scalp Cooling technology, with more than 100,000 patients in 32 markets around the world. The Paxman family developed the technology in the 1990s, when Sue Paxman lost her hair while undergoing chemotherapy. The company is on a mission to help people around the globe minimize chemotherapy-induced hair loss.
Chemotherapy works by targeting all rapidly dividing cells in the body. Hair is the second-fastest dividing cell, and many chemotherapy drugs attack hair follicles in the growth phase. This is why hair loss is a common side effect of chemotherapy. The Paxman cap lowers the temperature of the scalp before, during, and after treatment, which reduces the flow of chemotherapy drugs to the scalp and the cooling effect also causes the rapidly dividing hair cells to become dormant, leading the chemotherapy to bypass them. The system’s effectiveness has been verified by numerous clinical trials.
Fox Chase will begin offering scalp cooling to patients in May after training staff during the week of May 6, which coincides with National Nurses Week. Patients who wish to enroll will need to complete the enrollment form in conjunction with their provider and submit it to the Paxman Hub. The Paxman Hub case managers will review and process the request, and then contact you for payment. Once payment is received, the pharmacy will quickly ship the Paxman Personal Cap Kit directly to your home. Individual patients are primarily responsible for the scalp cooling process, but nurses will be trained to answer questions and assist as necessary.
In recognition of the role nurses play in the scalp cooling process, PAXMAN thanks nurses for all that they do and are honored to celebrate with them during National Nurses Week.