“They said all my hair would fall out”: Japanese model Momoka Eri opens up about her battle with uterine corpus cancer [Health Talk]

[Financial News] Japanese model and entrepreneur Momoka Eri, 45, who is battling uterine corpus cancer, cut her long hair, which reached her waist, ahead of chemotherapy. She also said her medical team told her that she had two years left if she did not receive chemotherapy. Hair loss from chemotherapy occurs when some drugs affect hair follicle cells, and it often begins 2–4 weeks after treatment starts.
According to Japan’s TV Asahi Corporation, Nikkan Sports and other outlets on the 4th, Momoka Eri recently shared a video of herself cutting her hair on social media (SNS), along with her thoughts ahead of chemotherapy.
Momoka Eri said, “My doctor told me that in about two weeks, I’d lose my hair, eyelashes and eyebrows,” and added, “After saying goodbye to my sons yesterday, I cut it myself first. I’m donating the hair I cut. I got the finishing short cut at a salon today.”
The video showed her cutting her waist-length hair herself with scissors. She also shared a later clip showing her hair trimmed short at a salon.
She explained that she had considered shaving her head, but decided to keep her hair short after hearing that her scalp could tingle or hurt when her hair fell out.
She also disclosed her expected survival time if she did not undergo chemotherapy.
Momoka Eri said, “I asked what would happen if I didn’t take chemotherapy drugs, and the doctor’s answer was that I had two years left,” adding, “Starting today, I’m setting off into the unknown.”
However, this was a prognosis given by her doctor based on the assumption that she would not receive chemotherapy. It does not mean that her actual survival time has been definitively determined to be two years, or that it refers to her survival time after chemotherapy.
Momoka Eri revealed in August that she had been diagnosed with uterine corpus cancer and had undergone surgery. Later, on October 1, she said about a month had passed since surgery to remove her uterus and ovaries, and announced that she planned to undergo chemotherapy.
She said she had been told that tests after the surgery showed the cancer had spread beyond the uterus and affected blood vessels. However, she did not disclose the exact stage or pathology results.
She said that she initially did not want to undergo chemotherapy, but decided to proceed after discussing it with her son.

Momoka Eri cut her hair ahead of chemotherapy because of the hair loss that can occur during treatment.
Some drugs used in chemotherapy attack rapidly dividing cancer cells. However, hair follicle cells, which are among the normal cells that divide quickly, can also be affected, causing hair to thin or fall out.
The U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) explains that chemotherapy-related hair loss can affect not only scalp hair but also eyebrows, eyelashes, underarm hair and other body hair.
However, not all chemotherapy drugs cause hair loss. Its severity varies depending on the type and dose of drug used and the treatment cycle. Some patients’ hair thins only slightly, while others lose most of it.
According to the U.S. Mayo Clinic, hair loss from chemotherapy generally begins 2–4 weeks after treatment starts. Hair may fall out all at once or gradually over several weeks.
The two-week timeframe Momoka Eri said her medical team gave her is also within the general period when hair loss can begin after chemotherapy.
However, the specific chemotherapy drugs she will receive have not been disclosed, so the extent or pace of her hair loss cannot be predicted.

Some patients about to start chemotherapy cut their hair short beforehand to prepare for possible hair loss.
The U.S. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center says that patients with long hair who are about to begin chemotherapy that can cause hair loss may consider cutting it short in advance.
When hair starts falling out, large amounts may collect on pillows, clothes and hairbrushes. Having short hair can make these changes relatively easier to manage.
However, cutting your hair or shaving your head before chemotherapy does not prevent hair loss itself. The scalp may become sensitive during treatment, so care should also be taken to minimize irritation.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center recommends using a gentle shampoo, brushing hair gently and avoiding things that can irritate the scalp, such as hot blow-dryers and hair dye.
After losing a lot of hair, people can use hats or scarves to protect their scalp from sunlight and cold.

Hair loss from chemotherapy is usually temporary. According to the NCI, hair often starts to grow back about 2–3 months after chemotherapy ends.
New hair may be thinner than before, or its color and texture may change. It may grow back curly or, conversely, straighter than it was before.
The Mayo Clinic also says that hair generally starts growing back 3–6 months after chemotherapy ends. However, with some drugs, hair loss may last for a long time, or hair may not fully return to its previous condition.
Scalp cooling is sometimes used to help reduce hair loss. It works by keeping the scalp cool before and after chemotherapy to reduce the effect of drugs reaching the hair follicles.
However, it is not suitable for every type of chemotherapy. Whether to use it should be decided in consultation with the medical team, taking into account the patient’s cancer type and the drugs being used.

Uterine corpus cancer, the cancer Momoka Eri was diagnosed with, occurs in the body of the uterus. Since it most often develops in the endometrium, the lining of the uterus, it is also called endometrial cancer.
According to the National Cancer Information Center at the National Cancer Center, treatments for endometrial cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
Treatment is determined by considering factors such as the cancer’s stage, histological type, degree of differentiation, molecular and biological characteristics, and the patient’s health. Surgery to remove the uterus and both ovaries and fallopian tubes is generally performed, with additional treatment determined by how far the cancer has progressed and the risk of recurrence.
Chemotherapy may be considered especially when postoperative pathology results indicate a high risk of recurrence or when the cancer has spread to surrounding tissue.

Japan’s National Cancer Center lists hair loss, nausea, vomiting, peripheral neuropathy and bone marrow suppression among the major side effects of cytotoxic chemotherapy used for uterine corpus cancer.
Bone marrow suppression is a condition in which the production of white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets decreases due to the effects of chemotherapy drugs. A drop in white blood cells increases the risk of infection, while a decrease in platelets can make bleeding more likely.
Therefore, patients should immediately inform their medical team if they develop a fever of 38°C or higher, chills, severe shortness of breath or unusual bleeding during chemotherapy.
Japan’s National Cancer Center recommends that patients ask their medical team what symptoms to expect and how to manage them before treatment begins, since side effects vary depending on the drugs used and the patient’s condition. It also advises patients not to stop treatment on their own if side effects occur, but to consult their medical team.


[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter