Hair loss

I started losing my hair a little bit about the 2nd week of treatment. But it wasn't until all treatment was over that I really started losing me hair. I use to have really thick hair but now I have really thin hair. (I'm 8 months post treatment) I have noticed that my hair is real wavy. Hang in there.

Squirrel_Hill_Amelia said:

to avoid hair loss - just do radiation, not chemo?

I was diagnosed 2 weeks ago with rectal cancer, and the doctors are going to test the degree of invasion before deciding whether to do surgery first or shrink the tumor by radiation and chemo.

It is important to me to avoid hair loss. 

Presumably they do the radiation plus chemo because of some synergestic effect. Presumbly there have been scientific tests with adequate data samples to show which gets the most bang for the buck in shrinking the tumor - chemo or radiation.  What if the pt refuses chemo and just does radiation?  Anyone know actual data on results for that?  How does it impact long-term survival rates?

Also, somewhere I read a possibly crackpot idea that if a pt packs their head in ice during the chemo infusion it will prevent hair loss. the doctors allegedly don't like the idea because they claim the cancer cells will "hide" in the hair follicles.  Anyone know about this?

If I am going to eventually croak, I intend to meet St. Peter at the pearly gates with my hair intact. I get the impression that the doctors optimize for extending life, without regard to the crappy quality of life the patient may have due to the treatments.

The colorectal surgeon claims that hair loss is not a side effect of whatever drug they would intend to give me, but my husband thinks he is lying.

Any feedback is appreciated.

Like I said previously the hair loss really bothered me BUT would I have not done the treatment if I knew I was going to lose my hair?  NO!  At the time the hair loss seemed like it lasted forever but now that it's coming back and it seems like a blink in time.  I didn't want anyone to know I had cancer and the hair loss changed that because it was visual and many people guessed why.  That's probably a big part of why it bothered me so.  I never shaved my head, I just let it fall out on it's own and it got VERY thin.  My hairdresser has be able to work with it and make it more managable.  There is also a product called TOPPIK that helps camouflage the bald scalp which make the hair appear fuller.  I know it sounds strange and even goofy but it really works.  TOPPIK is hair fibers that you shake on (an automizer works best) and use hairspray to hold in place, it washes out.  I went to get a wig and the consultant showed me this product to help until I was ready for the wig. They mixed several shades together to match my hair color and I ended up using it and getting shorter haircuts until my hair started coming back.  I never got the wig.  (A few months ago, they even showed this product in Redbook magazine to help with hair loss.)  The other thing is not everyone losses their hair despite taking the same drugs.  My oncologist told me there's no way to predict side effects and he's seem some people actually have no side effects at all.  Please don't let the chance of hair loss determine your treatment plan.