Supportive Cryotherapy: A Review From Head to Toe

The review "Supportive Cryotherapy: A Review From Head to Toe" examined the effectiveness of cryotherapy in reducing chemotherapy-induced side effects such as alopecia, oral mucositis, ocular toxicity, and onycholysis. Scalp cooling was particularly effective in reducing hair loss, with success rates improving from 56% before 1995 to 73% after, supported by studies including a large one with 1,411 patients. Cryotherapy also significantly reduced oral mucositis by approximately 50%, nail toxicity, and short-term ocular toxicity. Despite these benefits, the review noted limitations in the studies, such as lack of blinded control groups and inconsistent clinical endpoints, and called for further research to optimize techniques and identify the most beneficial patient subgroups.