General News
27 November, 2025
More than cold comfort for local cancer patients
CANCER has continued to be a significant and serious medical condition with life-altering effects for those affected – directly and indirectly. One in two Victorians will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85, and with about 130 people in Horsham diagnosed with the disease each year, chances are that most locals have been touched by cancer in one way or another.
So, a recent addition to the range of services offered at the Wimmera Cancer Centre will helpfully reduce the prevalence of one of the most visible side effects of chemotherapy: hair loss.
Scalp cooling or ‘cold capping’ is proven to be an effective way of combating chemotherapy-induced hair loss and can result in a high level of retention or completely preserve the hair.
WCC centre manager, Carmel O’Kane, said patients who requested the cold cap treatment in the past had to travel to Ballarat because it was the nearest oncology clinic to provide the service.
“It’s going to be a great comfort to many patients knowing they can get the cold cap treatment in Horsham now, and it’s thanks to the generosity of community donations that we were able to purchase the system,” she said.
“We have two oncology nurses who are trained to use the system, and the device can be used by two patients at the same time, so we are confident we will be able to cover all requests for its use.”
Ms O’Kane said hair loss was a common side effect due to the way hair cells work.
“Chemotherapy works by targeting all rapidly dividing cells in the body, and hair is the second fastest dividing cell, which is why many chemotherapy drugs cause hair loss,” she said.
“Hair damage caused by chemotherapy can be alleviated by scalp cooling. It works by reducing the temperature of the scalp by a few degrees immediately before, during and after chemotherapy.
“This in turn reduces the blood flow to the hair follicles, which may prevent or minimise the hair loss.”
She cautioned that scalp cooling was not always effective.
“It can depend on factors like the specific chemotherapy drugs and dosage and the patient’s hair type,” Ms O’Kane said.
Patients having chemotherapy can request cold capping by discussing it with their oncologist.
Grampians Health chief operating officer, Ben Kelly, said his organisation’s number one objective from day one of the merger was to provide services closer to home.
“The Wimmera Cancer Centre is a fantastic service that has saved thousands of hours in travel and time for its patients,” he said.
“Now there will be even more patients who will feel a more positive attitude toward their treatment because of the responsive care they can now access locally.”
Distance has continued to be a factor in accessibility of cancer-related care services.
From January 1 to October 31, 2025, Cancer Council Victoria fielded 9810 enquiries to the 13 11 20 information and support phone line, highlighting the ongoing demand for cancer support services – including from individuals and families living across regional and rural Victoria.
Notably, this included an increase in calls seeking financial counselling (approximately seven per cent) compared with 2024 statistics, as Victorians have continued to be challenged with the same daily, cost-of-living pressures that have plagued recent years.
CCV’s head of strategy and support, Danielle Spence, said the service was “free, confidential, and available for anyone affected by cancer who has a question or is seeking trusted information, whether it’s those living with a diagnosis or their family, friends, and carers”.
“Nobody should have to go through a cancer experience alone – and that’s what makes a service like 13 11 20 so important,” she said.