King Charles III's Cancer Battle
- King Charles III has been undergoing cancer treatment after doctors found it while treating his enlarged prostate, and like other men his age, thanks to advancements in treatment, the 40th reigning monarch to be crowned at Westminster Abbey has kept his hair and is continuing to work.
- Earlier this year, Buckingham Palace revealed to multiple news outlets that King Charles does not have prostate cancer. The exact type and stage of cancer and Charles’ ongoing treatment have not been disclosed at this time.
- While undergoing chemo, some men and women may experience hair loss. Although King Charles hasn’t appeared to have any issues with his hair, hair loss usually begins about three to four weeks after chemotherapy and continues throughout treatment. Most people can expect regrowth four to six weeks after treatment.
- If losing your hair is a concern before cancer treatment, know that you have options, such as wigs, hats, wraps, and scarves, to maintain your self-esteem.
Although the exact type and severity of the disease hasn’t been revealed by Buckingham Palace, one thing is for sure—the current King of the U.K. and 14 additional Commonwealth realms is still exuding charm, confidence, and donning his seemingly-everlasting white hair while battling cancer.
Read MoreAn insider close to King Charles informed The Sun‘s Royal Editor Matt Wilkinson, “The sun wasn’t shining in February but it is shining now.”
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However, the king is reportedly “not yet out of the woods,” those close to the King have “great optimism” his treatment has gone “better than anyone would have thought.”
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As for how he’s kept his hair throughout his cancer journey, a source also told The Sun, “He is not pioneering in any way as it’s available for any cancer patient.
“The treatments are highly evolved and sophisticated in ways previous treatments were not.”
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According to The Sun, a source also said, “It wasn’t like he was totally broken and nor are we totally out of the woods yet as treatment continues.
“Treatment has gone better than anyone would have thought even in their most optimistic thoughts.”
The news outlet also notes that the King has been able to follow through with 464 engagements within the past year and saw upwards of 105,000 invited guests in the Royal palaces.
A source also noted that despite the King’s occasionally “grumpy” attitude, “When battling illness, what he has been able to do gives him a sense of great positivity and encouragement.
“Having a great positive frame of mind is as important as having the best medical expertise for the physical side of his symptoms. It’s been a great boost for morale and recovery that he is able to complete the scale and nature of events he is able to undertake.”
A source also explained how “rest and recovery” for the King has been a serious priority.
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Lastly, the King is recovering well and keeping his hair through an ongoing “pioneering non-intrusive treatment,” another source reportedly informed The Sun.
Another source, who is well aware of the King’s treatment plan, praised how King Charles, or men like him battling disease, having “precision guided weapons” in their fight against cancer.
Coping With Hair Loss During Treatment
Hair loss can be an emotional stage of anyone’s cancer journey. SurvivorNet has tips and resources for anyone facing this side effect and struggling to manage it.
“For cancer patients, losing one’s hair can be unbelievably stressful. To start with, the dread of losing one’s hair can lead to some sleepless nights and feelings of anxiety,” Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author, told SurvivorNet.
Chemotherapy can cause hair loss. It usually begins about three to four weeks after chemotherapy and continues throughout treatment.
It happens because this treatment targets quickly dividing cells throughout the body. That includes cancer cells but also hair cells.
Radiation is another treatment that can lead to hair loss if the hair is in the path of the tumor being treated. For example, radiation for a brain tumor may cause hair loss on the head.
“If you do lose hair, it will regrow several weeks or months after treatment,” radiation oncologist at GensisCare Dr. James Taylor tells SurvivorNet.
“Fortunately, for most patients, hair loss is not a concern when having radiation therapy.”
Most patients can expect regrowth four to six weeks after treatment. However, it is possible when your hair grows back, you may notice some changes in its color and texture.
Dr. Boardman suggests connecting with others experiencing cancer treatment like yours and asking them for first-hand advice.
“Talk to people who have been through it, get their advice, voice your concerns to your caregiver, and see what they can do,” Dr. Boardman added.
If losing your hair is a concern before cancer treatment, know you have options like wigs, hats, wraps, and more.
Preventing Hair Loss During Chemotherapy: Scalp-Cooling Devices
Meanwhile, there are scalp-cooling devices that offer some relief for those going through chemotherapy.
The idea for such a device came from a company in the U.K. that provided cooling equipment for breweries. When the wife of the chairman of the company developed breast cancer and underwent chemotherapy, the cooling company began work on the technology that would lead to the scalp-cooling device.
The devices were approved by the FDA in recent years, first in breast cancer and then in a number of other cancers. Dr. Julia Nangia, a medical oncologist at Baylor College of Medicine and a lead author on one of the major studies of the device, says 50 percent of women were able to keep their hair after four rounds of chemotherapy, and added “without the devices, 100 percent of patients lost their hair.”
There has been some question of safety when it comes to scalp-cooling, but Dr. Nangia says that when given to people who have solid tumors (like in breast, ovarian, colon, and lung cancer) the devices are safe.
WATCH: What is a scalp-cooling device?
Scalp-cooling devices have recently been approved by the FDA, first for breast cancer and then several other cancers. That means wearing cold caps or special cooling caps before, during, and after each chemotherapy treatment. The caps, which are tightly fitting and strap-on helmet-style, are filled with a gel coolant that’s chilled to between -15 and -40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Essentially, the caps “cause vasoconstriction, or a narrowing of the blood vessels bringing blood to the scalp,” Dr. Renata Urban, gynecologic oncologist at the University of Washington, explains.
By constricting the blood flow to the scalp, the caps limit the circulating chemotherapy that reaches the hair follicles, protecting them from some of the chemo’s damaging effects.
The cold also decreases the activity of the hair follicles, slowing down cell division and making the follicles less affected by the chemotherapy medicine.
It’s OK To Grieve Over Hair Loss
Feeling upset over losing your hair isn’t an uncommon feeling, and a completely warranted emotion. Experts tell SurvivorNet that they encourage patients to grieve over their diagnosis, as often it represents the end of them being a “healthy person.” Therefore, the grief is an important step to accepting the new normal and being able to push through treatment.
Once grieving the initial shock of losing your hair, it’s easier to accept, and then they can change their mindset and try to find some positivity.
“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. If [a woman] seems like she’s having trouble moving on, we explore [that too],” says Laurie Ostacher, a medical social worker at Sutter Bay Medical Foundation in the Bay Area.
“It’s amazing how quickly you can get used to not having any hair.”
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you’re dealing with a health issue, or going through cancer treatment and experiencing hair loss, here are some questions you may consider asking your doctor:
- Are there any treatments to help manage or minimize my hair loss?
- What are scalp-cooling devices and how do they work?
- Do you recommend scalp-cooling devices?
- What other options are available to help me cope with hair loss?
- Can you recommend a wig-maker?
- I’m struggling mentally with my hair loss, can you recommend a therapist to talk to?
- How can I find a local support group with people going through similar things?
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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