Low-Level Light Therapy Accelerates Hair Growth in Chemotherapy Patients

Female breast cancer patients grow 2.6x more hair following
conclusion of chemotherapy using iGrow-like helmet

BOCA RATON, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Photobiomodulation therapy, or low-level light therapy (LLLT), has been
shown to accelerate hair recovery by 2.6x in patients with
chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA), according to preliminary findings
of an ongoing, randomized clinical trial about the effects of red light
on hair growth in female breast cancer patients. The results were
presented on Friday, April 7 at the 37th Annual Conference of
the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery in San Diego.

“We wondered whether photobiomodulation therapy with red light could
speed up the recovery of these patients by stimulating hair growth,”
said Dr. Istvan Stadler, surgical laser research scientist at Rochester
General Hospital in Rochester, New York.

“Previous studies using self-administered red light treatments with the iGrow
Hair Growth System
showed significant improvements
for pattern baldness in both men
and women
who used the device, leading to FDA clearance for this indication,”
noted Dr. Raymond J. Lanzafame, CME director for the American Society
for Laser Medicine and Surgery, and researcher and consultant in the
field of lasers and light applications in medicine. “We hypothesized
that a similar treatment strategy might be capable of stimulating hair
growth in chemotherapy patients. The early results were more dramatic
than we had expected.”

The study included female subjects with breast cancer, ranging in age
from 20 to 60, who had completed adjuvant chemotherapy one to four weeks
prior. Patients were randomly assigned to either the active laser and
LED group or the placebo group. The active group received a
bicycle-helmet-like apparatus, similar to the iGrow, containing 5mW
lasers and 30 LEDs. The placebo group received a device identical in
appearance, but containing only incandescent lights. The patients used
these devices at home for 25 minutes every other day, and returned for
follow-up and photography of their scalp at three and six months.

After 24 weeks, patients in the active group demonstrated a 2.6x
increase in hair counts.

Approximately one
in eight women in the U.S. (almost 12 percent) will develop breast
cancer in their lifetime
. In 2017, an estimated 252,170 new cases of
invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S.
Many of these cancer patients will receive adjuvant chemotherapy as part
of their treatment, and may experience the common side effect of hair
loss. Hair typically begins to slowly recover approximately six weeks
after a patient’s last treatment.

“The results of this study are extremely encouraging,” said Jeff Braile,
president of Apira
Science
, maker of the iGrow, which provided the active and placebo
devices for all patients. “We’ve known for some time that red light
effectively treats androgenetic alopecia, but to witness that it can
have a similar effect on chemotherapy-induced hair loss is
groundbreaking. Hair loss as a result of breast cancer treatment can
take an emotional toll on patients already going through a tough time,
and we’re grateful that we can alleviate some of that burden.”

The study is ongoing. Patients interested in participating can call
585-266-2150.

About Apira Science, Inc.

Apira Science, Inc. has pioneered low-level light therapy (LLLT) for
over a decade. Its iGrow Hair Growth System draws on its expertise and
innovations in the application of LLLT to deliver a simple, safe, and
effective hair growth treatment. For more information, visit www.igrowlaser.com.

Contacts

Media contact
Gregory
FCA

Denise DiMeglio
610-228-2102
denise@gregoryfca.com

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