42 | JULY 28 • 2022
C
old caps aren’t always part of the
discussion when people are diag-
nosed with cancer.
“The goal is to save your life,” says Janet
Gendelman, 45, of West Bloomfield, one of
the founders of Cap & Conquer, a nonprof-
it 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 chemo-
therapy is complete. Even in remission,
hair loss can lead to depression and anxi-
ety.
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 treat-
ments a person has to have. Rather than cov-
ering 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 any-
where 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 found-
ers 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 for-
tunate. 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 chemothera-
py patients keep their hair during treatment,
Gendelman was connected with like-mind-
ed 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 fund-
ing 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 annu-
al 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 chal-
lenge, skins game and more.
Golf activities will be followed by appe-
tizers 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 por-
tion 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.
HEALTH
Meet the organization helping cancer patients
preserve their hair.
Golfing to Save Hair
ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Dr. Taylor Novice, Alexandra (Ali) Weitz,
Madison Novice, Janet Gendelman, Dr.
Karlee Novice and Dr. Molly Powers
COURTESY CAP & CONQUER