As much as 8% of most cancers sufferers refuse chemotherapy as a result of they don’t wish to lose their hair. After all, hair loss could cause immense harm to an individual’s shallowness — however it will possibly additionally strip sufferers of their privateness, making their sickness instantly seen to others.
“It’s not about magnificence. It’s about privateness. Take into consideration the occasions that you simply’ve walked into the grocery retailer or been in an airport and seen someone who clearly is bald and clearly doesn’t have their eyebrows. You’re like, ‘Oh, that individual’s going by way of most cancers. I really feel actually unhealthy for them,’” mentioned Kate Dilligan.
Dilligan, a breast most cancers survivor, is on a mission to assist chemotherapy sufferers from shedding their hair. Impressed by her personal chemotherapy journey, she based a medical gadget firm named Cooler Heads that sells a conveyable and self-administered scalp cooling gadget.
Scalp cooling — which entails medically induced hypothermia on the scalp earlier than, throughout and after chemotherapy — will help sufferers retain their hair. However most cancers sufferers don’t at all times have entry to this, Dilligan famous.
When Dilligan was present process chemotherapy in 2016 and 2017, she mentioned the one obtainable technique for her to maintain her hair have been frozen gel caps.
“These gel caps are actually frozen in dry ice and positioned on and off your head each 25 minutes. The day earlier than my third chemotherapy infusion, the one who was doing that for me — as a result of there’s no manner you’re going to have the ability to do it by yourself as you’re getting chemo — give up,” she mentioned.
After the corporate that equipped this assistant knowledgeable her of the information, Dilligan then insisted a alternative be discovered instantly. She supplied to double the pay — from $500 to $1,000 — in addition to cowl all resort prices to make sure somebody confirmed up.
This expertise left her feeling powerless, and it highlighted the deep lack of affected person management in most cancers therapy. It’s the entire “why” behind San Diego-based Cooler Heads, which Dilligan based in 2018.
Cooler Heads’ system has two main parts. One is a conveyable cooling unit, and the opposite is a capping system designed to induce hypothermia in hair follicles.
The cooling unit is light-weight at 23 kilos. It is usually compact sufficient to suit beneath an airplane seat and might run on wall energy or battery energy, permitting sufferers to maneuver round freely throughout therapy, Dilligan defined.
The capping system has a number of layers to make sure correct cooling and match. It has a cooling wrap, which circulates coolant from the machine to sit back the scalp, in addition to a neoprene compression strap, which ensures even contact between the cooling wrap and the scalp. The system additionally entails a compression cap with air chambers – sufferers modify the match utilizing an air bulb, just like a blood strain cuff, to realize uniform cooling, Dilligan acknowledged.
The FDA cleared the gadget in 2021, and suppliers began adopting it in 2022. Dilligan mentioned sufferers in 23 states are at present utilizing the answer.
Cooler Heads sells its product to well being techniques. The answer helps handle the difficulty of chair time administration, which Dilligan mentioned has been a significant barrier to suppliers’ scalp cooling adoption.
Since chemotherapy periods are a key income driver for well being techniques, infusion chair turnover is a vital metric. Two-thirds of Cooler Heads’ prospects had by no means supplied scalp cooling earlier than, largely as a result of conventional techniques required sufferers to stay within the infusion chair for prolonged durations.
“We permit the sufferers, after they’re completed with chemo, to get out of their infusion chair and go someplace else — go to the ready room or another location designated by their infusion middle. As a result of should you’re the director of most cancers at a well being system, chair time is likely one of the most essential metrics that you’ve,” Dilligan defined.
The portability of Cooler Head’s system helps it stand out from rivals, she famous. In her view, the corporate is going through two fundamental rivals within the scalp cooling house, each of that are traded on the Sweden’s inventory trade.
The primary is Paxman. Its system serves two sufferers at a time, however it requires sufferers to stay within the infusion chair after chemotherapy, Dilligan identified. She additionally famous that Paxman’s product makes use of a silicone cap — which she mentioned can turn into inflexible when cooled, making it troublesome to take care of correct contact with the scalp.
Cooler Heads’ different competitor is Dignitana. Dilligan mentioned its machine is even bigger than Paxman’s, requiring 220-volt energy, which can’t be present in a normal outlet. Dignitana’s system additionally wants important nursing intervention to make sure correct match, and like Paxman, it retains sufferers of their chairs post-chemotherapy for continued cooling, she remarked.
Total, she believes the mission of her firm is to empower most cancers sufferers and hopefully create a actuality the place extra individuals go for life-saving therapy.
Dilligan identified that most cancers sufferers’ want for privateness isn’t nearly avoiding pity from strangers — it’s additionally typically about defending the lives and futures they labored laborious to construct.
“Rapidly, you realize you’re not going to get that promotion, you’re not going to get that management position. There’s all this stuff that simply get taken from you since you’re a most cancers affected person. They’ll simply put you within the nook and have you ever sit with a blanket over you,” she mentioned.
Cooler Heads is about to announce a Sequence A fundraising spherical within the subsequent month or two, Dilligan famous.
Picture: FatCamera, Getty Pictures
