Cap & Conquer has already funded scalp cooling for more than 70 cancer patients in Michigan and hopes to significantly exceed that number this year.
Cold caps aren’t always part of the discussion when people are diagnosed with cancer.
“The goal is to save your life,” says Janet Gendelman, 45, of West Bloomfield, one of the founders of Cap & Conquer, a nonprofit dedicated to funding cold cap therapy for Michigan cancer patients.
Losing hair to chemotherapy, however, often comes secondary.
Yet Gendelman, a survivor of ovarian cancer, says hair loss is a devastating part of cancer treatment that can serve as a reminder of the illness long after chemotherapy is complete. Even in remission, hair loss can lead to depression and anxiety.
That’s why cold caps can be so powerful. Cold caps, or cold cap therapy, cool the scalp during chemotherapy, which reduces the amount of chemotherapy medicine that reaches the hair follicles.
With less chemotherapy medicine in the hair follicles, there is a lower chance of hair loss. The Mayo Clinic estimates that 66% of people who use cold caps experience 50% or less hair loss. While, like any treatment, it’s not foolproof, it can substantially help.
Breaking Down Barriers
Despite the high success rate, Gendelman says many people don’t know scalp cooling exists. Plus, cold caps can be very costly and often aren’t covered by insurance.
Cold caps can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000, depending on the number of treatments a person has to have. Rather than covering cold cap therapy, many insurances will instead cover the cost of high-quality wigs, which can cost just as much.
To help break down financial barriers to cold cap therapy and to build awareness about treatment, Cap & Conquer raises funds year-round to cover costs for cancer patients.
The nonprofit will typically cover anywhere from 25%-100% of treatment, though Gendelman says most people helped by the organization receive 100% coverage.
It’s a mission that’s personal to the founders of Cap & Conquer, many of whom are cancer survivors themselves and members of Metro Detroit’s Jewish community.
The founding team consists of sisters Karlee, Taylor and Madison Novice; Ali Weitz; Molly Powers; and Janet Gendelman. Several volunteers also help the organization.
Yet Cap & Conquer’s founders didn’t only survive cancer — they were able to save their hair during cancer treatment thanks to the help of cold cap therapy.
“I was very fortunate that my doctor told me about cold caps,” Gendelman recalls. “But that was a matter of going to the right doctor.”
Many people, she explains, aren’t as fortunate. Seeing firsthand how much cold cap therapy transformed her life, Gendelman wanted to do something to “pay it forward.”
Golfing to Combat Hair Loss
After reaching out to the Rapunzel Project, a nonprofit dedicated to helping chemotherapy patients keep their hair during treatment, Gendelman was connected with like-minded women in the Metro Detroit area who shared the same goal.
From there, Cap & Conquer was born in 2020 and has grown significantly in its funding capability. The nonprofit held its first event in the heart of COVID-19, organizing a virtual 5K that raised $50,000. In 2021, it raised $137,000 from its first annual golf outing.
Now, Cap & Conquer has its second annual golf outing planned for Aug. 8 at Tam-O-Shanter Country Club in West Bloomfield. The daylong event begins at 11 a.m. with a noon shotgun start. Throughout the event, participants will play scramble golf and enjoy a putting green contest, hole-in-one challenge, skins game and more.
Golf activities will be followed by appetizers and cocktails at 5 p.m. that include a silent auction, award ceremony and live music. Registration is currently open and costs $250 per golfer or $125 per person for those who want to attend the evening portion only.
Gendelman says the nonprofit is on track to beat last year’s fundraising amount.
Cap & Conquer has already funded scalp cooling for more than 70 cancer patients in Michigan and hopes to significantly exceed that number this year.
“We’ve seen an increase in inquiries and applications,” Gendelman says. “We know that going into the end of 2022 and into 2023, we’re going to have a bigger
demand.”
For more information on registration and sponsorships, visit www.capandconquer.org/golf-outing.
