Bandana-Wearing Bruce Springsteen Bandmate Steven Van Zandt, 72, Gave Md. Rep. Jamie Raskin, 60, a Head Scarf as He Battled Lymphoma – The Impact of Hair Loss During Cancer Treatment
Bandana-Wearing Bruce Springsteen Bandmate Steven Van Zandt, 72, Gave Md. Rep. Jamie Raskin, 60, a Head Scarf as He Battled Lymphoma The Impact of Hair Loss During Cancer Treatment
Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin's cancer journey included the emotional phase of hair loss. To help him cope, Bruce Springsteen's E Street band member Steven Van Zandt gifted him a bandana as a token of encouragement.
Raskin was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, which is a fast-growing cancer, but treatment success rates are high when caught early. The Congressman has since completed treatment.
Chemotherapy can cause hair loss. It usually begins about three to four weeks after beginning chemotherapy and continues throughout treatment. Fortunately, your hair usually regrows after treatment concludes.
If losing your hair is a concern for you ahead of cancer treatment, know you have options like wigs, hats, wraps, and scarves, among other things.
While there is no treatment that guarantees your hair won't fall out, tools like scalp-cooling devices have shown to help mitigate this side effect.
When Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, 60, was diagnosed with cancer last year, he remained hopeful and began wearing bandanas on his head as he lost his hair from treatment. And watching from afar was the iconic bandana-wearing musician and actor Steven Van Zandt, 72, who gifted Raskin his own bandana as a token of encouragement.
"That gift is from all of us who want to thank you every day for giving us hope…Here's to a rapid complete recovery," Zandt said in a tweet.
That gift is from all of us who want to thank you every day for giving us hope that there is a politician that cares about justice! Here's to a rapid complete recovery. https://t.co/11WfFWAmrG
🕉🇺🇦🟦Stevie Van Zandt☮ï¸ðŸ’™ (@StevieVanZandt) February 11, 2023 Zandt is a singer, songwriter, producer, actor, and musician. He is a popular member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street band. He also starred in popular television shows such as "The Sopranos," giving life to Silvio Dante in the series that chronicled the life of a New Jersey mob boss.
The popular actor and musician came across Raskin's cancer journey when the Congressman announced in December 2022 he was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the more common type of lymphoma, a type of blood cancer that starts in the lymphatic system. About 1 in 5 people with non-Hodgkin lymphoma have the diffuse large B-cell variety, making it the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the United States.
This is a fast-growing cancer, but treatment success rates are high when caught early.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 03: Bruce Springsteen (L) and Steven Van Zandt perform at Barclays Center on April 03, 2023, in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
"We never claim a 100% success rate in oncology, because we don't have it, and nothing's 100% in this world other than taxes and death," Dr. Stephen Schuster, medical oncologist at Penn Medicine, tells SurvivorNet.
But, he adds, "diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in the early stage is a highly treatable disease."
Raskin was hopeful for his prognosis. He managed to work through the cancer treatment that involved chemotherapy and immunotherapy, which uses your own immune system to fight cancer cells.
One of the side effects of his treatment included hair loss.
"In addition to destroying cancer cells, chemotherapy impairs natural antibodies and undermines the body's immune system. I am advised that it also causes hair loss and weight gain," Raskin said in a statement.
Thankfully, Zandt's bandanas gave Raskin encouraging support and a new fashion sense for the House floor.
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 13: Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) questions CDC Director Rochelle Walensky during a hearing held by the House Oversight and Accountability Select Coronavirus Pandemic Subcommittee on June 13, 2023, in Washington, DC. Walensky, whose last day is June 30, has been head of the CDC for a little over two years. (Photo by Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)
"Look what I received from one of the greatest musicians on earth, a gift I will treasure almost as much as his song ‘I am a Patriot.’ You are about to see a step up in my chemo headcover fashions for the next few months. Rock on Stevie, keep spreading the light," Raskin said in a tweet.
Throughout treatment, Raskin said he lost "about 40 or 50 hairs a day" in an interview with CNN.
This past Spring, Raskin completed treatment after months of chemotherapy.
Tuesday I thanked nurses, doctors & pharmacists at @MedStarGUH who serve with splendid kindnessand saved my life over 5 months. I finished 6 rounds of 5-day chemo sessionswhich they organized so I didn't have to miss votes or hearingsand I rang the bell! A new chapter begins. pic.twitter.com/lAtpGyBG5b
Hair loss can be an emotional stage of anyone’s cancer journey – men and women alike. SurvivorNet has tips and resources for anyone facing this side effect and struggling to manage it.
"For cancer patients losing one's hair can be unbelievably stressful. To start with, the dread of losing one's hair can lead to, some sleepless nights and feelings of anxiety," Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author, told SurvivorNet.
Chemotherapy can cause hair loss. It usually begins about three to four weeks after beginning chemotherapy and continues throughout treatment.
WATCH: Hair loss during chemo.
It happens because this treatment targets quickly dividing cells throughout the body. That includes cancer cells, but also hair cells.
Radiation is another treatment that can lead to hair loss if the hair is in the path of the tumor being treated. Radiation for a brain tumor, for example, may cause hair loss on the head.
"If you do lose hair, it will regrow several weeks or months after treatment," radiation oncologist at GensisCare Dr. James Taylortold SurvivorNet.
"Fortunately, for most patients, hair loss is not a concern when having radiation therapy."
Most patients can expect regrowth around four to six weeks after they complete treatment. However, it is possible when your hair grows back you may notice some changes in its color and texture.
Dr. Boardman suggests connecting with others who are experiencing cancer treatment like yours and asking them for first-hand advice.
"Talk to people who have been through it, get their advice, voice your concerns to your caregiver, and see what they can do," Dr. Boardman added.
Rep. Jamie Raskin coped with his hair loss with Zandt-inspired bandanas. However, other options exist for cancer patients experiencing this tough leg of their journey.
If losing your hair is a concern for you ahead of cancer treatment, know you have options like wigs, hats, wraps, and more.
According to the Mayo Clinic, there are currently no treatments that guarantee your hair won't fall out during or after chemotherapy. Still, some treatments like the following may help: Scalp cooling caps and Minoxidil (Rogaine).
WATCH: What is a scalp-cooling device?
With scalp-cooling devices, they were approved by the FDA in recent years first in breast cancer and then in several other cancers.
Dr. Julie Nangia, a medical oncologist at Baylor College of Medicine and a lead author on one of the major studies of the device, says 50% of women were able to keep their hair after four rounds of chemotherapy, and added, "without the devices, 100% of patients lost their hair."
There have been some questions of safety when it comes to scalp-cooling, but Dr. Nangia says that when given to people who have solid tumors (like breast, ovarian, colon, and lung cancer) the devices are safe.
Raskin is not the only person in a public spotlight to face hair loss from cancer treatment.
"Blink-182" musician Mark Hoppus, 51, battled stage 4 lymphoma. During treatment, he went through hair loss from undergoing chemotherapy. He shared an Instagram post showing off his shaved head but remained hopeful and determined to "stay positive."
Now nearly two years later, Hoppus has a full head of hair again. He used his cancer journey to inspire his latest tour that's etched on a shirt that says, "Mark beat cancer 2023 celebration tour.”
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you're going through cancer treatment and experiencing hair loss, here are some questions you may consider asking your doctor:
Are there any treatments to help manage or minimize my hair loss?
What are scalp-cooling devices and how do they work?
Do you recommend scalp-cooling devices?
What other options are available to help me cope with hair loss?
Can you recommend a wig maker?
I'm struggling mentally with my hair loss, can you recommend a therapist to talk to?
How can I find a local support group with people going through similar things?
