Spabreaks.com's Cancer Spa Guide

Part of the Spabreaks.com Guides

Going on a spa break is all about giving you the time and space to feel like the best version of yourself, and for anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis, that time is especially well-deserved.

Once upon a time, going on a spa break or having spa treatments following a cancer diagnosis, even if you had recovered, presented barriers. Thankfully, today, that is no longer the case. As a team at Spabreaks.com, we have worked alongside other industry leaders for improved training standards, better levels of understanding and consequently better treatments.

Now, many spas across the UK have therapists who are trained to adapt spa treatments to optimise comfort, experience and wellbeing for anyone who has ever had a cancer diagnosis. We have made those destinations easy to find with our Safe Hands for Cancer collection.

In this guide we hope to give you all the information you need to find the best spa destination and spa treatments for you. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact our team directly.

Yes, you can go to a spa if you have cancer. However, there are some things to consider and you may wish to speak to your oncologist before you go if you have any questions.

Going to a spa when you’re being treated for, living with or recovering from cancer, can be an extremely nurturing experience. However, some cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, can cause your immune system to be compromised, which means that pools, saunas and steam rooms may not be recommended during active treatment.

Some cancer treatments can also cause much greater skin sensitivities. Depending on the cancer therapy you’re having, therapists may need to adapt massages, facials and other spa treatments for your comfort and optimum benefit.

Crucially, finding the right spa experience when you have had a cancer diagnosis isn't just about avoiding any discomfort - it's also about maximising the benefits of your spa experience. By knowing a bit more about you and your experiences through the consultation process, specially trained therapists can tailor your spa treatments to make sure you get the most from your visit.

At Spabreaks.com we work with many spas where therapists have had the training to adapt spa treatments for the different stages of cancer treatment in order to make sure therapies are safe, positive experiences that give you the TLC that you need. It won’t compromise the quality of your experience – it will enhance it, making sure you have everything you need to be in safe hands.

You can find out more by following the link to our Safe Hands for Cancer spa experiences.

Like anyone, every person who has cancer has different needs. That might depend on the type of cancer you have, what stage of cancer treatment you’re at, or what cancer treatment you’re having.

The reason that therapists need to have specialist training is simply because there are more things to think about when someone has cancer, and extra precautions to take to make sure they are comfortable at the different stages of their cancer journey.

Every person is different, every cancer is different, and everyone's experiences of cancer and its treatments are different. All those things need to be taken into consideration when adapting a spa treatment for maximum comfort and benefit. That might mean avoiding certain movements or products and essential oils, for example.

Some of the things that therapists need to think about when providing treatments to anyone who has had cancer include:

• The risk of infection (if someone is having chemotherapy, for example)
• Skin sensitivities caused by cancer treatment
• Adapting treatments around surgical sites or picc lines
• Selecting suitably gentle skincare products

In the past, many spas did not have the right training to provide treatments to anyone who had a cancer diagnosis. That included those who had recovered. Therapists were taught not to provide spa treatments to anyone with cancer and while the reasons were rooted in good intentions they resulted in a blanket approach that was frustrating to therapists as well as their clients.

Recognising the need for change, a number of industry innovators have worked to create therapist training and protocols to provide and adapt spa treatments in a way that is now recognised by insurers and offers beautiful wellbeing experiences for every stage of the cancer journey.

Safe Hands for Cancer makes it easy to find spa experiences where therapists have that high level of training, so you can enjoy your spa day or break knowing you’re in safe hands.

Everyone's experiences of cancer and cancer treatment are different, and while spa treatments do not in any way treat cancer, they can provide some comfort to the individual. For lots of people, skin issues are a big part of the side effects of cancer treatment.

While lots of the side effects of cancer treatment are addressed by medical experts (infection risks for example), skincare and wider wellbeing support are often left to the individual.

While spas can't solve wellness issues associated with cancer treatment, they can help nurture the individual. For example, there is data to show that dedicated oncology massage can help improve mental wellbeing and reduce pain perception in cancer patients. Meanwhile, there are dedicated skincare brands that work with spas as well as selling their products to use at home.

Spas that offer dedicated touch therapies after a cancer diagnosis and use carefully chosen skincare products signpost their offering and at Spabreaks.com we highlight those spa experiences through our Safe Hands for Cancer collection.

Short-term benefits of oncology massage include:

• Reduced anxiety, depressed mood and anger in breast cancer patients.
• Increased vigour.
• Reduced mood disturbances and perceived stress levels.
• Improved sleep quality.
• Improved quality of life.
• Reduced pain and improvement of mood, reduced stress levels.
• Reduced perception of pain, nausea and increased relaxation.
• Pain intensity, pulse rate, and respiratory rate significantly reduced immediately after massage. At study entry, the massage group reported higher pain intensity, which decreased by 42% (25% reduction in the control group).
• Reduced anxiety scores, depression, general fatigue, reduced motivation fatigue, and emotional fatigue.

Long-term benefits of touch therapies include:

• Reduced depression
• Increased urinary dopamine
• Increased serotonin values
• Increased natural killer cell numbers and lymphocytes
• Reduced mood disturbances and perceived stress levels (specifically in breast cancer patients)

Spa experiences can play a really meaningful role in reconnecting with our bodies, especially when you’ve been experiencing an illness like cancer. Kind and caring touch after the mind and body has been through so much is extremely powerful - it can be part of what helps to make us feel human again. Here’s what some of our spa guests had to say about their spa experiences during and after cancer.

“As a cancer patient I was so excited to hear that Rockliffe Hall provided spa treatments for cancer sufferers. On the day I went I was around half way through my chemotherapy plan and I timed my visit to coincide with my ‘good days’ prior to the next dose. I had discovered that I had breast cancer in January. I love my clothes, my make-up, my hair and all the girlie things involved in being, or trying to be, a ‘trendy and smart modern day woman’. I’m used to looking after myself but the last year has been challenging to say the least.

Suddenly everything seemed to change, despite being very positive about the final outcome, I became the one to be cared for, not the carer. My body looked and felt strange, and I ceased to feel like a woman. My body seemed not to be my own but simply something that had things done to it which were consistently unpleasant and painful. So imagine my delight at the thought of staying in a five star hotel where I could be the old me, the me who could enjoy the pleasures of a beautiful hotel and beauty treatments, the me who was like everyone else.” - Dorothy

*"Not all benefits of oncology massage can be quantified. Many people receiving this kind of complementary therapy report an overall feeling of improved wellness and a generally higher quality of life at a tough time. I know from personal experience that there is some pain relief to be found in it, and that it helps to manage the onset of depression and anxiety. I am better able to sleep at night and have the capability and energy to do a little more and see a few more people as a result of it, and for that I am extremely thankful." *- Virgil