Aim
This study aims to investigate the psychosocial impact of chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA), a common side effect of chemotherapy, among cancer patients treated in a regional centre in Victoria.

Methods
This exploratory study was conducted at Goulburn Valley Health Oncology Day Unit. Approval was obtained through the institution’s Ethics Committee. Patients were invited to participate in the study if they had non-haemotological malignancy and identified as receiving chemotherapy agents known to cause significant alopecia, including anthracyclines and taxanes. A single face-to-face interview was conducted after consent was obtained. The administered questionnaire was adapted from the Body Image Scale (BIS) and Chemotherapy-induced Alopecia Distress Scale (CADS), with additional questions to explore scalp cooling.

Results
Between March and May 2015, 40 patients with a median age of 62 years (range 25-79) were recruited. Three-quarters of these patients were female and nearly two-thirds (60%) had breast cancer. Most of them (80%) received taxane and / or anthracycline-based regimes. Significant CIA was reported in 88% of patients who had received at least one cycle of chemotherapy. There was no statistically significant difference in body image or psychological impact based on patient-reported hair loss or age. Female patients were more affected by CIA based on both the psychological impact and body image scales. Although only 9 patients had heard of scalp cooling, 22 patients (55%) were willing to undergo the intervention to retain their hair if the service was available.

Conclusion
Female breast cancer patients make up the majority of our study population and are most affected by CIA. To our knowledge, this is the first such study in a regional Victorian centre. It provides new insight into the psychosocial impact of CIA in these patients. The findings further suggest an area of unmet need in regional Australia and the provision of services such as scalp cooling to prevent CIA may need to be considered.