Scientific surgery

Abstract

et al. Effect of a scalp cooling device on alopecia in women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. The SCALP randomized clinical trial. JAMA 2017; 317: 596-605. The trial was stopped early after 142 women had been randomized. The trial endpoint (< 50 per cent hair loss, not needing a wig) was reached by 50⋅5 per cent of cooled women, compared with none in the control group, P = 0⋅0061. Kowalski TJ, Kothari SN, Mathiason MA, Borgert AJ. Impact of hair removal on surgical site infection rates: a prospective randomized noninferiority trial. J Am Coll Surg 2016; 223: 704-711.