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Hair loss is a very traumatic result of some cancer therapy regimens. This study evaluated topical minoxidil (2%) and compared it with placebo in 20 women who were to receive fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide for breast cancer. The treatments were applied in the standard dose of 1 ml twice per day over the entire scalp during the period of chemotherapy and for up to four months after.
Minoxidil treatment resulted in a delayed onset of alopecia and faster hair regrowth. The period of "baldness" was 50 days shorter in the minoxidil group than in the placebo group (87 vs. 137 days). Minor side effects occurred in both groups, and included pruritus (sometimes due to wigs) in 60% of patients, folliculitis in 25%, and facial hair gro…