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Platelet-rich plasma is the person's own blood, spun down and injected back. It is sold for hair, skin and vaginal dryness after treatment. The two trials that have actually been run in cancer survivors are small, and the better designed of the two found no difference between the treated and untreated side of the same scalp.
The preparation is autologous: blood is drawn, centrifuged to concentrate platelets, and injected. Two studies in cancer survivors exist. In a randomised split-scalp pilot in 15 women with endocrine-induced alopecia and 12 with persistent chemotherapy-induced alopecia, monthly injections for three months on one side only, the global assessment score improved by 1.2 points from baseline on both sides at week 12 with no significant difference between treated and untreated sides. Hair density rose on both sides (21 and 16 hairs per square centimetre) with no difference between them, and hair-related quality of life did not improve. Adverse events included grade 1 to grade 3 scalp pain. Notably, two of 12 circulating tumour cell assays detected malignant cells in the platelet-rich plasma preparation itself, although no seeding events were seen.
The second is an uncontrolled single-arm pilot of 20 breast cancer survivors given one vaginal injection session for genitourinary syndrome of menopause. Symptom, sexual function and urinary scores improved significantly at six months and 95 per cent reported improvement, with transient spotting, irritation and cramping and no serious adverse events. The objective vaginal maturation index did not change significantly, and there was no control arm, which in a symptom-led condition with a large placebo response is the limitation that matters.
For hair specifically, minoxidil has better evidence and its own record on OnCo, linked below. Platelet-rich plasma is low risk and the preparation is autologous, but the evidence in survivors is a split-scalp trial that showed no side-to-side difference and an uncontrolled pilot, which is not enough to justify a course of paid sessions.
Concentrated platelets release platelet-derived growth factor, transforming growth factor beta and vascular endothelial growth factor on degranulation; the hypothesis is that these shift follicles into anagen or stimulate local fibroblasts and angiogenesis in mucosa.
Query for this technology: (TITLE:"platelet-rich plasma" OR ABSTRACT:"platelet-rich plasma") AND (alopecia OR (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma)). Results are unfiltered search hits about Platelet-rich plasma for survivors, not a curated reading list.
Shares What actually works after treatment, Quality of life, Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued and the tags rejuvenation, survivorship.
Shares What actually works after treatment, Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued and the tags rejuvenation, survivorship.
Shares What actually works after treatment, Quality of life and the tags rejuvenation, survivorship.
Shares Quality of life, Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued and the tags rejuvenation, survivorship.
Shares Quality of life, Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued and the tags rejuvenation, survivorship.
Shares What actually works after treatment and the tags rejuvenation, survivorship.
Shares What actually works after treatment and the tags rejuvenation, survivorship.
Shares Quality of life, Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued and the tags rejuvenation, survivorship.