Cool Comfort

Facing cancer a second time, an Ames woman finds the support she needs at the Cancer Resource Center.

Marisa Jones was diagnosed with breast cancer 21 years ago. She had lumpectomy surgery and underwent radiation treatment.

And then, life went on. She and Scott, her husband of 52 years, raised their kids, eased into retirement, and welcomed grandchildren.

In June 2024, following a routine mammogram, Marisa received an unsettling diagnosis: She was once again facing breast cancer.

“This time the cancer was different,” she says. “It would require chemo. Just hearing the word chemo brought me to tears, because I recalled people that I knew who had cancer and had lost their hair and were very ill from it. I was just devastated.”

Dr. Venkatesh Rudrapatna, a McFarland Clinic oncologist with the Bliss Cancer Center, sensed Marisa’s concern and introduced her to a resource and a therapy that would play a central role in her cancer journey. The resource was the Cancer Resource Center, part of the Bliss Cancer Center, a service of Mary Greeley and McFarland Clinic. The therapy was scalp cooling.

“The first meeting that we had with Dr. Rudrapatna, he explained the protocol and he answered all of our questions, and he was very compassionate and very forthright with what we were going to be going through,” says Scott. “At the end of that session he said, ‘Come with me.’ He walked us down the hallway to the Cancer Resource Center and said, ‘You will be in good hands with these people.’”

“It’s not uncommon to have any of the oncologists walk a patient over here to us, send us a message, or put in that navigation referral, really making that direct connection with us saying, ‘Hey, I think this patient would benefit from navigation services,’” says Dana Kline, an oncology nurse navigator with the Cancer Resource Center. “A beautiful part of our partnership is being able to have that direct connection with the Bliss oncologists.”

Cooler Heads Prevail

When Marisa received her diagnosis, the Cancer Resource Center had begun offering cancer patients an advanced scalp cooling therapy to help reduce chemo-induced hair loss.

“I immediately knew that I wanted to do it, because it was stressful enough to know that I was going to be ill going through chemo, I wanted to at least save my hair and have some normalcy in my life,” says Marisa. “I didn't want to be bald because I was worried that my grandchildren seeing me that way would be afraid of me.”

The center previously used a system, with dry ice and one-size-fits-all headgear, that meant more patient work and expense. The new system includes a selection of capping sizes and no longer requires dry ice. Patients buy the capping system, but the expensive cooling tank is provided by the resource center.

“Every breast cancer patient who attempted the dry ice method of cold capping voiced dissatisfaction with the process. There was also mixed satisfaction with the outcome,” says Michelle Reichert, center coordinator. “We received many requests for a better option and were fortunately able to do that.”

Center staff chose a product called Amma Cooler Heads, which utilizes a capping system that delivers a cooling solution to the scalp, a compression cap that keeps the cooling wrap in place, and a portable cooling unit circulates the solution through the cooling wrap at the correct temperature. Bliss is the only cancer center in Iowa offering this therapy.

“It’s a pretty special situation where we are a large enough facility and program to be able to provide some cutting edge, evidence-based treatments and technology, while still being small enough to have personal relationships with patients so we get to know them and support them in individual ways,” says Kline.

Scott accompanied Marisa at all her appointments and became an expert at the scalp cooling process.

“You start by wetting down her scalp completely, then the wrap goes on top of her head, and you put a large Velcro strap from her chin above the head to hold it tight to the scalp. Then you put a cap over the top,” he explains. “Lastly, you plug this into the device that Mary Greeley has. Dana would always do that. And that's what immediately started to circulate an extremely cold solution through her wrap and over her scalp.”

The scalp cooling system is designed to bring a patient’s scalp temperature down to 65º F before, during, and after chemotherapy. The idea is that colder temperatures reduce chemo absorption by hair follicles, subsequently reducing hair loss and promoting faster hair regrowth after chemo. The timeframe for scalp cooling is dependent on each patient’s chemo regimen, but generally a patient starts the cooling process 30 minutes before chemo and continues 2-3 hours after the completion of the chemo session.

It all sounds like a lot, but “it was definitely worth it,” Marisa says. “I was just grateful that there is something like this. It was worth saving my hair and preserving that part of my identity. When I look in the mirror and I have hair, it looks great. I feel good.”

The Amma system was selected for its ease of use and satisfactory outcomes in reducing chemotherapy-induced alopecia, says Reichert. It does not promise that a patient won’t lose some hair during treatment, and some Bliss patients experienced more hair loss than they hoped. But others note that they had faster than anticipated hair regrowth after scalp cooling. Marisa’s thick hair got thinner during chemo treatment, but “no one could tell but me.”

The Center Experience

After chemo treatment, Marisa had surgery and continues with immunotherapy. Like many Bliss Cancer Center patients, the Cancer Resource Center became a central part of Marisa’s cancer journey.

“It was difficult for me understanding that she had cancer, and that it reoccurred,” says Scott. “There are all these unknowns, which really wears on you. I think the biggest thing is we had all these questions, and you really didn't know how to get the answer to those. I don't want to go to the internet, because how many answers do you want for the same question? It became very apparent to me that this was the place where all of our questions could be answered. And the services that they provide would carry us through this ordeal.”

In addition to scalp cooling, Marisa took advantage of several other Cancer Resource Center services, including genetic counseling and nutrition counseling.

"Dealing with cancer and the subsequent treatment is challenging and stressful, says Marisa. "Support is powerful and comes in many forms. I am very grateful to have caring support from family, friends, my husband, and the staff of the Cancer Resource Center and Bliss Cancer Center."

"Beyond the range of services, what’s equally important is they're wonderful people. They're kind, they're caring, they're compassionate, they're knowledgeable. They just really make you feel comfortable. And you know, we're so grateful for the Cancer Resource Center and everything that it does for people. It really does enhance the patient experience as they go through this,” says Scott.

The Cancer Resource Center is supported by the Mary Greeley Foundation (www.mgmc.org/foundation/bliss). Most of the center’s services are provided free of charge. ■