A study addressing alopecia wins the 3rd edition of The Renata Thormann Procianoy Award
This Wednesday (16), the public was informed about the winner research of The Renata Thormann Procianoy Award, which was idealized by the Instituto Projeto Cura. The investigation, named “Randomized study addressing the use of hand-held power heater versus observation to reduce the discomfort during scalp cooling, to prevent the alopecia induced by chemotherapy”, is led by Dr. Luciana Landeiro and aims at providing overall and thermal comfort to breast cancer patients exposed to scalp cooling during their chemotherapy treatment, as an attempt to prevent the Alopecia Areata (loss of hair). The awarding ceremony was held on the 16th, as part of the 2021 Best of ASCO Annual Meeting – Brazil Edition.
Winner Profile
Female and born in the Northeast area of Brazil, Dr. Luciana Landeiro has defined breast cancer and gynecological tumors as her main area of investigation. The physician initiated her professional trajectory as a scholarship fellow in a Hepatology research group at the Federal University of Bahia. Years later, during her Oncology medical residence, she focused her efforts in the improvement of life quality for oncological patients.
Additionally, she attended post-graduation in clinical research at the Harvard Medical School. Subsequently, during her PhD course in Clinical Oncology, at the São Paulo University, she selected the Survivorship research area, studying the return-to-work rates among breast cancer patients.
Dr. Luciana Landeiro is member of the Brazilian Society on Clinical Oncology (SBOC), the American Society on Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and coordinator of the Research Group at the Núcleo de Oncologia da Bahia (NOB) / Grupo Oncoclínicas.
About the research
The study was conducted within the area of quality of attention to breast cancer patients, being conceived conjunctly by Dr. Luciana Landeiro and Dr. Clarissa Mathias. The target population of the study comprised patients diagnosed with locally-advanced initial breast cancer.
Volunteer study patients were exposed to scalp cooling during chemotherapy treatment, as an attempt to prevent the collateral effect of Alopecia, which is hair loss. Patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio, for intervention with use of hand-held power heater versus observation during the scalp cooling. The main objective consisted in assessing the overall comfort among patients by assessing their comfort and thermal sensation.
Findings of that pilot study suggest that the use of hand-held power heater have a positive and consistent impact on the overall and thermal comfort among breast cancer patients exposed to scalp cooling during their chemotherapy treatment. Such findings are an initial indication that a simple device can improve the quality of life and maybe reduce the interruptions of treatment with the thermal cap.
History of The Renata Thormann Procianoy Award
The award was launched by Instituto Projeto Cura in 2019, during the Best of ASCO, as a homage to the history of Renata Thormann Procianoy who dedicated two years of her life helping her mother, Nora Thormann, to find the correct diagnosis and treatment for a breast cancer. Nora was cured after joining a clinical research coordinated by Dr. Roberto Miranda at the MD Anderson Hospital of the Texas University, USA.
Instituto Projeto Cura is especiallly thankful to Cristália, for encouraging researches through its support to the 3rd edition of the Renata Thormann Procianoy Award.
Text by Letícia Barbosa
With information from: Best of ASCO 2021 Annual Meeting – Edição Brasil
