Memorial First in Coastal Mississippi to Offer Paxman Scalp Cooling for Oncology Patients
Cryotherapy with a cooling cap during chemotherapy can prevent or reduce hair loss
GULFPORT, Miss. – October 18, 2024 – Memorial is the first in Coastal Mississippi to offer scalp cooling for oncology patients receiving chemotherapy treatment. Scalp cooling is a process that uses cryotherapy, in which the scalp is cooled with a manual or mechanized cooling cap. Scalp cooling can be used by adult cancer patients receiving chemotherapy to treat solid tumor cancers such as, but not limited to, breast, ovarian, other gynecological, lung, and prostate cancers.
Typically, the treatment consists of a cap, which comes in two sections (an inner cap and an outer cover), worn before, during, and for some time after chemotherapy infusion. The cap is attached to a system, which circulates coolant liquid around the inner cap, reducing the temperature of the scalp. Reducing the temperature of the scalp helps protect the hair follicles and limits the damage caused by chemotherapy drugs.
“We’re proud to be the first in the area to offer this innovative treatment option for our oncology patients,” said Memorial Health System Manager of Clinical Practice Operations Quin Barnes. “We understand that hair loss during chemotherapy can be one of the most difficult parts of the journey for many patients, and the Paxman Scalp Cooling System gives them the chance to keep a part of their identity during treatment. It’s another way we’re committed to supporting our patients not only physically, but emotionally, as they navigate cancer care.”
In April 2023, Aimee Robertson, president of the Memorial Hospital Foundation, received news that would change her life: she was diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer. Retaining her hair meant preserving a part of her identity and maintaining a sense of normalcy for herself and her family. Find out why her experience led her to advocate for offering this technology at Memorial – click the button below.
To learn more about the Paxman Cooling System at Memorial, including financial assistance information, call (228) 575-2978. For additional information about how the Paxman Cooling System works, visit coldcap.com.
ABOUT MEMORIAL
Memorial Health System has been serving the Mississippi Gulf Coast since 1946. Located in Gulfport, Mississippi, Memorial is a not-for-profit medical complex jointly owned by the City of Gulfport and Harrison County. Memorial includes two hospitals licensed for 328 beds, a state-designated Level II Trauma Center, two nursing centers, four outpatient surgery centers, satellite outpatient diagnostic and rehabilitation centers, and more than 100 Memorial Physician Clinics. Memorial offers several of the region’s most comprehensive clinical programs and medical specialties unique to the area, including a Level III Neonatal ICU and Mississippi’s first nationally-certified Primary Stroke Center. Visit wearememorial.com to learn more.