taxotere and hair regrowth

[zuke]

I've seen a few posts on this subject and I'm wondering if anyone in the medical field is taking us seriously.  It's been a year since I completed taxotere and my hair is still extremely thin.  My oncologist and my reconstructive doctors say they've never seen it before but I notice women on this site have the same problem.  Does anyone know what's going on? Could there possibly be a link between taxotere and permanent hair follicle damage?  I'm 42, had 3 months of AC followed by 12 weeks of weekly Taxotere.  I still have no eyebrow regrowth at all, no nose hairs, and the top of my head looks like male pattern baldness.  The new hairs are extremely thin and feel like baby duck fuzz. Should I see a dermatologist at this point?

Thanks in advance for any input.

Zuke

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear Zuke:  We believe you.  The proof is on your head.  However, I have searched the literature and cannot find documentation of this phenomenon. Most sources suggest that full hair regrowth will take 3-6 months following chemotherapy.  My experience is that this can certainly vary as all things do in individuals.  Nonetheless, since it has been a full year, a consult with a dermatologist may be helpful.

[Kaye...]

I noticed that my hair regrowth pattern has varied with the different chemotherapy drugs that I've used.  I first had 4 cycles of AC.  I then had 5 weeks of radiation fllowed by 4 cycles of taxanes with weekly Herceptin (2 cycles of Taxol, then 2 cycles of Taxotere).  After the AC treatments my hair grew in primarly in dark (brunette), C-shaped strands.  It seemed to grow in fairly fast and thick.  About 3 weeks after my first Taxol and Herceptin, I lost all that hair which had started to grow in since the end of my previous chemo (last treatment on that had been 3 months before I lost my hair again from second type of chemo).  Anyway, as spoon as I lost all the hair for a second time--which was about an inch in length, a coarse or harder feeling white hair started growing in. .  Although these unusual white hairs were all over my head, my head was only sparsely covered.  About 6 or 7 weeks after my last taxane treatment, dark, soft hair started growing in again (which was about 2 weeks ago).  However, it is much thinner than it was after the AC treatments. My eyebrows also are growing in much slower as well than they did after the AC treatments.
I really don't mind the slower hair growth though, because I had had a problem with excessive facial haor before I started chemo and which became even more pronounced after the end of my first chemo.  It would be worth it to me not to continue wearing a wig if that excessive facial hair did not return.
Does anyone know which hormones, if any, might be responsible for the excessive facial hair and what role they may have in breast cancer?

[debimac]

I am off chemo treatment (taxotere) since August, 2001 and still do not have any eyebrows, eyelashes and my head is sparsely covered.  I am 48 years old.

[shirleyl]

A related discussion, Taxotere - permanent hair loss was started.