Retrospective Cohort Study of CDK4/6-Inhibitor-Induced Alopecia in Breast Cancer Patients

November 2023 in “ Supportive Care in Cancer ”

Abena Minta, Lucy Rose, Candice Park, Bhuvaneswari Ramaswamy, Daniel G. Stover, Margaret E. Gatti‐Mays, Mathew Cherian, Nicole Williams, Preeti Sudheendra, Robert Wesolowski, Sagar Sardesai, Maryam B. Lustberg, Charles L. Loprinzi, Kathryn J. Ruddy, Elizabeth Cathcart-Rake, Stephanie Trovato, Brittany Dulmage

CDK4/6-inhibitor alopecia androgenetic alopecia vertex involvement combination therapy endocrine therapy minoxidil topical antiandrogens Rogaine

TLDR Minoxidil improves hair loss in breast cancer patients on CDK4/6-inhibitor therapy.

This retrospective cohort study investigated 28 breast cancer patients who developed alopecia due to CDK4/6-inhibitor therapy, termed CDKiA. The alopecia resembled androgenetic alopecia, with more pronounced vertex involvement in patients receiving combination therapy with CDK4/6i and endocrine therapy (ET) compared to those on endocrine monotherapy. After 4-6 months of minoxidil treatment, 80% of CDKiA patients showed moderate to significant improvement, while 94.4% of those with endocrine-induced alopecia (EIA) improved. The study suggests that combining minoxidil with topical antiandrogens may be beneficial for CDKiA patients, especially due to the specific vertex involvement.

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