Women who have ovarian cancer generally receive the chemotherapy drugs carboplatin and Taxol as part of their initial treatment, either before or after surgery. Side effects, which can include fatigue, anemia, nausea, and hair loss, often accompany treatment.

Leslie R. Boyd, MD, gynecologic oncologist at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center and associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, counsels her patients to prepare for these side effects by knowing what to expect.

“The side effect that everyone asks about, and rightly so, is hair loss,” Dr. Boyd tells SurvivorNet. “I suggest that patients shave their head ahead of time because it can be quite distressing to see your hair fall out on its own.”

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