Immunotherapy Associated With Hair Repigmentation, Study Finds
A controlled study has provided quantitative evidence suggesting that immunotherapy, rather than chemotherapy, is closely associated with hair repigmentation. The findings support a potential link between immune-modulating therapies and the restoration of hair pigmentation, while also establishing an objective methodological framework for future research into this phenomenon.
Thoracic cancers encompass a heterogeneous group of malignancies, primarily comprising lung cancer, esophageal cancer, thymomas, and mediastinal tumors. These diseases collectively represent a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with lung cancer alone accounting for approximately 25% of all cancer deaths. Recent advances in immunotherapy, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte-Associated Protein 4 pathways, have revolutionized treatment paradigms for thoracic malignancies. Clinical trials demonstrate durable responses in subsets of patients, with improved overall survival rates in both non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The success of ICIs has established immunotherapy as a cornerstone of thoracic oncology nowadays, either as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy/radiotherapy.
Whether hair repigmentation during cancer therapy is driven by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) or chemotherapy remains unclear. This study aimed to quantitatively identify the primary driver using a controlled design.
In this prospective study, 29 patients with thoracic malignancies were divided into an immunotherapy group (n = 18) and a chemotherapy group (n = 11). Standardized dermoscopic images were captured before and after treatment. Hair pigmentation was quantified via grayscale analysis.
Grayscale values decreased significantly posttreatment in the immunotherapy group (p = 0.0008) but not in the chemotherapy group (p = 0.1427). The magnitude of change (ΔGrayscale) was significantly greater with immunotherapy than with chemotherapy alone, representing a large effect size (Cohen's d = 0.90).
This controlled study provides quantitative evidence suggesting that immunotherapy, rather than chemotherapy, is closely associated with hair repigmentation. It establishes an objective methodological framework for future investigation of this phenomenon.
Reference:
Jiang, Sitong, et al. "The Impact of Immunotherapy On Hair Repigmentation in Patients With Thoracic Tumors: a Clinical Observation Based On Trichoscopy." Thoracic Cancer, vol. 17, no. 13, 2026, pp. E70338.
Keywords:
Immunotherapy, Associated, Hair Repigmentation, Study, Finds, Jiang, Sitong
