The loss of hair on the upper neck is most probably due to the radiation -- Barry lost it, as did a woman who was *only* getting radiation -- only about 1 1/2" swath in both cases because of the tomo-IMRT machine. He just left the rest of his hair longer in back and you couldn't really notice.

The platinoids (cis-and carbo-) can cause hair thinning but real hair loss occurs only in a small percentage of people getting these drugs, and usually when given at higher doses than is given for radiosensitizing in head/neck cancer treatment. Taxol does cause hair loss in most people.

Barry also lost beard growth, mostly on right side, some on left. This was only for a few months, everything has been grown back for some time, although both hair and beard are darker than before.

He was warned beforehand that the radiation would cause this hair-loss pattern, btw.

Gail