my friend starts chemo tomorrow, is it gaureenteed her hair will fall out? she seems to be in denial about it. i told her i would go with to pick a wig out but she is determined it wont happen to her.

There is no "guarantee" that a person's hair will or will not fall out during chemotherapy. It really depends on the drug they're given.

When I interviewed the senior oncologist from one of the local hospitals (I do freelance writing for a local health magazine), he told me that these days, they have advanced chemo drugs that are very targeted (i.e. they attack just the cancer cells and not all healthy cells). With these drugs, side effects are reduced.

So if your friend is taking one of these drugs (they are very expensive though - approximately $100+ per pill, according to the oncologist), she might not experience the side effect of hair falling out.

It is certain that your friend will loose all her hair and will become bald after chemotheraphy. But the hair will grow back to the original position in about year's time. for details on how Chemo is given what are the possibilities of hair loss, please read below. Just leave her as she wants and do not talk about this to her as it would be giving mental and moral tension to her.

Ovarian cancer is sometimes treated with IP chemotherapy because this type of cancer usually stays within a confined area. This type of therapy is only suitable for some patients. Ovarian cancer patients whose tumors have a diameter greater than two centimeters may not receive this therapy because the anticancer drug does not reach very far into the tumor. Also, patients whose cancers are resistant to certain drugs may not undergo IP therapy. Patients with smaller tumors, or those who show response to chemotherapy are better candidates.

Drugs used in IP chemotherapy include cisplatin, paclitaxel, floxuridine, 5-FU, mitoxantrone, carboplatin, and alfa-interferon.

Most of the chemotherapy drugs cause hair loss, but it is almost always temporary. Hair re-growth may not begin until several weeks have passed since the final treatment. This is the most common impact that chemotherapy has on the outer surfaces of the body. In some patients, an ice wrap, called an ice turban, can reduce hair loss. The effectiveness will depend on factors such as the type of drug, dose, and treatment schedule. This preventive treatment must be avoided by patients with leukemia, lymphoma, mycosis fungoides or by those with scalp tumors. People should use with caution if they have conditions such as vasculitis, cryoglobulinemia or a history of radiation to the head. Patients should discuss the ice turban treatment with their doctor before trying it.-