Does Cancer in general cause hair loss or is it the chemotherapy?

Some types of chemotherapy cause hair loss. There are many different types of chemotherapy. The older chemo drugs almost always cause hair loss because they target fast growing cells . . and hair cells are fast growing. The idea behind chemo was to stop the rapid growth of the cancer cell . . but unfortunately one of the side effects was to also kill healthy hair cells and some healthy cells inside the intestine (which is what causes the nausea). So it is the older chemo that causes hair loss. Cancer does not cause hair loss.



The newer chemotherapy drugs are based on targeting the cancer cell only . . and there is no associated hair loss with the newer drugs. In some cases there is a change in pigmentation with the result that hair turns white or gray (Sutent causes hair to turn white).



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Targeted_th

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/facts



Unlike the older more toxic drugs, targeted therapy drugs are used to 'control' the cancer and often can be taken as a daily pill at home.Does Cancer in general cause hair loss or is it the chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy. Actually many people ( myself included ) have or had incorrectly associated the disease itself with hair loss and anemia, that probably contributes to public dread over cancer. You will notice the same hair loss phenomenon in homicide cases where the victim has been intentionally poisoned by a colleague over a protracted period.Does Cancer in general cause hair loss or is it the chemotherapy?
it's the chemotherapy. it contains chemicals

that not only kills the cancerous cells but also

many other cells (like the ones that make hair)
Cancer doesn't cause hair loss.



Many chemotherapy drugs cause hair loss, but not all. Some just cause hair thinning, and some don't cause hair loss at all.
Chemotherapy drugs
The hair loss is cause by the chemotherapy.
It's the chemo