A Pilot Study of Low-Level Red-Light Therapy Combined With Topical Minoxidil Compared With Topical Minoxidil Alone in Breast Cancer Patients With Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia
Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
Summary
This phase II trial compares the safety and effectiveness of topical minoxidil alone to topical minoxidil in combination with low-level red-light therapy for improving chemotherapy-induced hair loss or thinning (alopecia). Minoxidil has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for hair loss. It increases blood flow in the skin and may have a direct stimulatory effect on hair follicle cells, forcing them from their resting phase into their active growth phase. Low-level light therapy is regarded as a safe and medically accepted treatment for a variety of skin conditions, including acne, scars, and psoriasis. Red light wavelengths are readily absorbed into the skin and do not contain harmful ultraviolet light. When absorbed into the skin, these wavelengths stimulate fibroblasts, which are connective tissue cells that make and secrete collagen proteins. Low-level red-light therapy may improve hair loss by stimulating hair follicles. Combining minoxidil with low-level red-light therapy may be safe and more effective at improving chemotherapy-induced alopecia than minoxidil alone.
Description
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To determine the improvement in hair density as determined by the Dean scale score in patients with chemotherapy-induced alopecia following treatment with low-level light therapy (LLLT) and topical minoxidil versus topical minoxidil alone. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine the improvement in hair density and hair diameter as determined by trichoscopic evaluation in patients with chemotherapy-induced alopecia following treatment with LLLT and topical minoxidil versus topical minoxidil alone. II. To determine the change in the quality-of-life Chemotherapy Alopecia D…