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Chemotherapy Side Effects and Cryotherapy: How Cooling Can Help Relieve Discomfort
Chemotherapy is an important treatment for many oncological diseases. It uses drugs that are intended to destroy cancer cells or inhibit their growth and division. However, chemotherapy drugs can also affect healthy cells in the body, so various side effects can occur during treatment.
The type and intensity of side effects may vary from person to person. They are influenced by the medications used, dosage, duration of treatment, and individual response of the body. The most common side effects experienced by patients during treatment include fatigue, nausea, changes in appetite, hair loss, oral problems, changes in blood counts, and an increased risk of infections.
Certain chemotherapy drugs can also cause peripheral neuropathy, a type of nerve damage that most often affects the hands and feet.
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy can cause unpleasant sensations in the hands, fingers, feet, and toes. Symptoms may include tingling, numbness, burning, pain, or increased sensitivity.
For some people, these symptoms are mild, while for others they can be disruptive to daily activities. Therefore, there is increasing attention being paid to complementary methods that can help reduce discomfort or the risk of certain side effects during chemotherapy. One such method is local cooling, or cryotherapy.
How does local cooling work during chemotherapy?
When a specific part of the body is cooled, the cold causes local blood vessels to constrict and blood flow to the cooled area to decrease. During chemotherapy, such cooling is used to reduce the exposure of a specific area of the body to chemotherapy drugs.
Hand and foot cooling is used as an adjunctive method to reduce the risk and discomfort of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, while scalp cooling is used to try to reduce chemotherapy-induced hair loss.
It is important to remember that the suitability and results of cryotherapy are individual. It is necessary to consult with your treating physician before using cooling products during chemotherapy.
Rexicare cooling gloves – for cooling hands and fingers
Rexicare cooling gloves are designed to cool the hands and fingers during chemotherapy. The cold causes the blood vessels in the hands and fingers to constrict, thereby reducing blood flow to the cooled area.
This cooling is used as an adjunctive method to help relieve the discomfort of chemotherapy-related peripheral neuropathy, such as tingling, pain, and numbness in the hands and fingers.
The gloves provide 360° coverage and are available in sizes S/M and L/XL. They should be refrigerated for at least 6 hours before use. The duration of cooling before, during and after chemotherapy should be agreed with the treating physician. The optimal time for wearing the gloves can be from 15 minutes to 2 hours.
Rexicare cooling slippers – for cooling feet and toes
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy can affect not only the hands but also the feet. You may experience tingling, numbness, pain, or other unpleasant sensations in the feet and toes.
Rexicare cooling slippers are designed to cool the feet and toes. The constriction of blood vessels caused by cold reduces blood flow to the cooled area. Therefore, the slippers can be used as an additional aid to relieve discomfort associated with peripheral neuropathy during chemotherapy.
Rexicare cooling shoes – for more intense foot cooling
Rexicare cooling shoes are also designed to cool feet and toes during chemotherapy. They work in a similar way to cooling slippers – the cold causes local constriction of blood vessels and reduces blood flow to the feet.
Cooling shoes can be used as an adjunct to help relieve the discomfort of chemotherapy-related peripheral neuropathy in the feet, including tingling, pain, and numbness.
The shoes are secured to the feet with an elastic strap. They are intended to be kept in the freezer for at least 24 hours before use. The duration of cooling should be coordinated with the attending physician.
Rexicare cooling cap – for cooling the scalp
One of the most visible and emotionally difficult side effects of chemotherapy can be hair loss, or alopecia. It occurs because certain chemotherapy drugs affect rapidly dividing cells, including hair follicle cells.
The Rexicare cooling cap is designed to cool the scalp during chemotherapy. Cold constricts the blood vessels in the scalp and reduces blood flow and metabolic activity in the hair follicles. Scalp cooling is used to reduce the effect of chemotherapy drugs on the hair follicles and thus help reduce hair loss.
The hat is designed for head circumferences from 56 to 67 cm and must be refrigerated for at least 6 hours before use.
What should be considered when using cryotherapy?
Rexicare cooling gloves, slippers, shoes and hat are complementary aids , not a substitute for chemotherapy or other medically prescribed treatments. Cooling effectiveness may vary depending on the chemotherapy drugs used, the treatment regimen and the individual body's response.
During cooling, discomfort due to cold may occur. Scalp cooling may also cause headaches, chills, scalp irritation, or discomfort in the neck and shoulder area. If severe pain, irritation, or other adverse sensations occur during cooling, discontinue use and consult a medical professional.
Depending on the type of chemotherapy, cooling may be necessary before, during, and for a certain period of time after the procedure. The exact regimen should be determined in collaboration with the treating physician.
Cryotherapy and research
The development and introduction of such products to the market is possible thanks to several studies. Several of them investigated the positive effects of cold therapy on the feet, hands, and fingers, while others investigated hair loss, or more precisely, the ability to maintain it.
Some of the studies:
- Cryotherapy for prevention of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy in breast cancer
- Efficacy of cryotherapy in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
- Effect of a Scalp Cooling Device on Alopecia in Women Undergoing Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer
The latter study was stopped early because the interim analysis reached a pre-specified limit for the effectiveness of scalp cooling. 50.5% of women who used scalp cooling retained more than half of their hair, while no patients in the control group achieved this result.
About the product manufacturer R&R Medical Corporation
R&R Medical Corporation Ltd. was founded in Taiwan in 1979. The company is an experienced manufacturer of medical and healthcare products with a global sales network in more than 120 countries. In the context of cryotherapy, the company offers a specialized Chemotherapy Cold Compress Series product line for oncology patients, designed to use cold therapy as a supportive care method during chemotherapy. The company points to vertically integrated manufacturing and research and development (R&D) capabilities, collaboration with research institutions and external testing laboratories, as well as quality management systems and certifications, including ISO 13485:2016.
