Cancer drugs that turn patients’ grey hair dark again
cancer patients undergoing a new treatment have seen their grey hair turn dark again.
In an unexpected side effect of the latest immunotherapy treatment, 14 patients, some in their 70s, regained the hair colour of their youth.
It is thought that the drugs, which boost the body’s ability to attack tumours, also stimulate hair pigmentation.
Dr June robinson, editor of the medical journal JaMa Dermatology, which published the study, said: ‘It’s a fascinating report – one of those things that comes out of the blue.’
Lead author Dr noelia rivera, a dermatologist at autonomous University of Barcelona, said that when a patient first reported a colour change she thought it was an isolated case, but then 13 others displayed the same effect.
In the majority of cases the grey hair turned completely dark but one patient had black patches among the grey hair. Dr rivera said: ‘at first only one patient asked if it was possible his hair was recovering colour, but after we asked more patients and they brought pictures in which we could see their hair more white, we started believing this could be because of the treatment.’
The 14 people were among 52 lung cancer patients being checked for side effects from the drugs – nivolumab, pembrolizumab and atezolizumab. all but one ment respondedthan other better patients,to treat-suggesting hair darkening is an indication the drugs are working. Previously the drugs were actually linked to hair losing colour in
skin cancer patients. The pharmaceutical industry has capitalised on unexpected side effects before, most famously with Viagra, which was developed to treat cardiovascular disorders.