Learning about Lymphoma and Cancer-Related Hair Loss
- Shell Rowe is a non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor trying to encourage positivity around hair loss. She recently launched a campaign to raise money for a UK-based charity called Teenage Cancer Trust where she’ll be rocking many #anythingbuthair looks in order to raise money.
- Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer with more than 40 different types, but Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma are the main two sub-categories. Early symptoms of lymphoma can be tricky to notice as they may include swollen lymph nodes, fatigue or unexplained weight loss.
- Chemotherapy and radiation can both cause hair loss or thinning, but both treatment options usually don't cause permanent hair loss.
- Hair loss can be an emotional challenge for people undergoing cancer treatment. But our experts recommend allowing yourself to grieve the initial shock of hair loss to make it easier to accept and hopefully find some positivity from there.
Rowe, 23, was first diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in August 2019 after a tennis ball-sized lump appeared in her neck along with her other lumps. In hindsight, she wished she had notices the other changes to her health that popped up as her cancer developed.
Read More"When I was discharged a week later, I didn't even go home, I went straight to the hairdressers and had it shaved off."
Since then, she’s been making videos of herself sporting all sorts of silly attachments to head cereal, flowers, shaving cream, frosting and everything in between.
@shellrowe For those wondering if it melted 🤠#hairstyles #bald #cancer ♬ original sound – ShellRowe
In a recent post to her Instagram, Rowe shared the news of her campaign to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust a UK-based charity that offers unique care and support, designed for and with young people.
View this post on Instagram
“I present the first look for my #anythingbuthair campaign with @teenage_cancer to raise money and encourage more positive dialogue and representation around hair loss,” she wrote under a gorgeous picture of her with flowers all around her head. “It is so important to me to help others feel empowered and comfortable in their own skin despite the changes cancer can cause to our appearance. Just because you are bald does NOT mean you cannot be beautiful!”
“If you've enjoyed my series of sticking things to my head or like this look then please consider donating, the link is in my bio! @aldiuk will be matching donations up to £5k which means anything you give will be doubled!!! 🤯 Please help me help other young people get the vital support they need during treatment.”
Understanding Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Lymphoma, in general, is a type of blood cancer. Blood cancers can affect the bone marrow, blood cells, lymph nodes and other parts of the lymphatic system. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society reports that every 3 minutes, one person in the U.S. is diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma.
More specifically, lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system that begins in the white blood cells called lymphocytes. Lymphoma begins when lymphocytes develop a genetic mutation that makes them multiply much faster than normal. This mutation also forces older cells that would normally die to stay alive. From there, the quickly multiplying lymphocytes collect and build up in your lymph nodes, the small glands in your neck, armpits and other parts of your body.
What Kind of Lymphoma Do You Have? Why Your Type Matters
There are more than 40 different types of the disease, but Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma are the main two sub-categories with the latter being much more common. The type of white blood cells linked to the disease determines the distinction. If doctors are unable to detect the Reed-Sternberg cell a giant cell derived from B lymphocytes then it is categorized as Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
You might be at a higher risk for lymphoma if you:
- Have been infected with the HIV or Epstein-Barr virus
- Had an organ transplant
- Have a family history of lymphoma
Have been treated with radiation or chemotherapy drugs for cancer in the past - Have an autoimmune disease
Signs of Lymphoma
One thing to note about lymphomas is that this type of cancer often creeps in quietly, without symptoms. And even when symptoms do show up, they don't necessarily point directly to cancer. In a previous interview, Dr. Elise Chong, a medical oncologist at Penn Medicine, explained that lymphoma symptoms could be difficult to detect.
Sneaky Lymphoma Symptoms Often Lead to a Late Diagnosis
"The symptoms of lymphoma, especially if you have a low-grade lymphoma, often are no symptoms," Dr. Chong explained. "People say, but I feel completely fine, and that's very normal."
People with lymphoma do not always have symptoms, but common ones are:
- Swollen glands in your neck, armpit or groin
- Fever
- Chills
- Night sweats
- Unexplained weight loss
- Feeling tired
- Swelling in your stomach
No matter what, it's important to communicate anything unusual happening to your body with your doctor. Even if you think there's nothing to worry about, it's good to rule out the possibility of more serious issues.
Hair Loss and Cancer Treatment
Many chemotherapies do cause hair loss or thinning, and this can be an incredibly distressing side effect. It's important to speak with your doctor about any personal issues that may be caused by treatment side effects including the loss or thinning of your hair. To help patients cope with hair loss, a doctor or nurse may be able to recommend a local wig-maker or other resources that can help slow down the process.
RELATED: Preventing Hair Loss During Chemotherapy: Scalp-Cooling Devices
However, it's also important to remember that the hair loss associated with chemo is temporary. Hair loss typically begins about three to four weeks after beginning chemotherapy and continues throughout treatment. People can expect regrowth around four to six weeks after they complete treatment, but some patients may experience some changes to hair color and texture when it begins growing back.
Radiation is another treatment that can cause hair loss if hair is in the path of the tumor being treated. If you have a brain tumor being treated with radiation, for example, you may lose the hair on your head.
"If you do lose hair, it will regrow several weeks or months after treatment," Dr. James Taylor, a radiation oncology resident at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, told SurvivorNet. "Fortunately, for most patients, hair loss is not a concern when having radiation therapy."
The National Cancer Institute does say that "a very high dose of radiation" can cause the hair affected by treatment to grow back thinner or not at all, but it returns more often than not.
Coping with Hair Loss
Prioritizing your mental health and happiness during a cancer journey is important. And while hair loss can a difficult part of the cancer journey no matter what, it's important to know that you're not alone.
San Jose resident Teri Chow was 44 when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She knew she would lose her hair during chemotherapy, and she even tried to prepare her family for the change by cutting her long locks into a short bob. In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Chow shared how she coped with her hair loss after chemotherapy treatments.
How Ovarian Cancer Survivor Teri Chow's Wig (& Humor) Helped Her Cope With Hair Loss
"I think it was shortly after the second round of chemo, so that would've been about four weeks after starting chemo, [my hair] started to fall out," Chow said. "It was coming out in the shower [and] it was coming out just combing [my] hair."
Some people choose to shave their heads right away so they don't have to watch their hair fall out, but Chow decided to start wearing a wig immediately. She even looks back on that time in her life with some humor. She would often laugh because many people didn't even realize she was wearing a wig.
"The other moms at the school didn't realized that I was going through this, and they'd compliment me on the wig and not knowing it was wig," Chow laughs. "I made the mistake to somebody I thought knew. I went, 'Oh, thank you,' And I moved the wig forward and she freaked out [and I was] like, 'Sorry, sorry, I thought you knew!'"
Then when her hair eventually started to grow back, Chow decided to switch things up and ditch the wig. She visited a hair dresser who transformed her short, curly, gray locks into a whole new look with a straightener and some dye.
And while Chow may have handled the hair loss journey with a bit more laughter than some, it's important to know that everyone's experience is individual. Feeling upset over losing your hair is very common and a completely warranted emotion.
Experts tell SurvivorNet that grieving over a cancer diagnosis often represents the end of them being a "healthy person." They encourage patients to feel through those emotions because the grief can be a crucial step to accepting the new normal and being able to push through treatment. After grieving the initial shock of hair loss, it might be easier to accept and find some positivity from there.
"I help patients acknowledge their grief so they can move on. I think the more we try to push [those feelings] away and say, 'Oh, it doesn't matter,' it tends to stick around a little longer," says Laurie Ostacher, a medical social worker at Sutter Bay Medical Foundation in the Bay Area. "If [a woman] seems like she's having trouble moving on, we explore [that too]."
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
