Refused a massage because I had cancer

[MinnieMountain]

I tried to book a massage at a new place yesterday but when I filled in their medical form and said I had cancer 8 years ago, they said they can't do it without a doctor's letter. Supposedly their insurance doesn't cover it as massage can cause any remaining cancer cells to grow again.

I'm astounded at their ignorance.

Has anyone else experienced this?

So she should have no problem getting a doctor's note from her GP.

It's not for a massage therapist to make a decision on what is medically safe.

Reflexology is another practice in which you are told very clearly in training that working on a cancer patient can spread the disease.

The 'agitating' element of reflexology can cause a system to 'clear out' sluggish material and this can move on cancerous tissue.

I agree it sounds stupid but I suspect it has its origins in previous experience, and someone sometime has blamed their cancer coming back on a massage. How would you disprove this if you were the poor massage therapist? You couldn’t, so wiser to not do it.

What could go wrong, is the development of lymphoedema. BCRL will be a lifelong risk, which is why even a gnat bite on the arm ipsilateral to the affected breast can trigger it.
Massage too firmly, the wrong way, overload the affected axilla and stress the remaining lymphatics - then that person has lymphoedema for life.

Management of existing lymphoedema by a DLT therapist is one thing, trusting a beauty therapist with minimal A&P knowledge to know enough not to potentially cause an onset, well, why risk it.

How does the massage therapist know that? They will have been told in training not to work on cancer patients without a Doctors letter so she's just doing her job.

You can take it as patronising if you want but clearly OP hasn't considered this or she wouldn't be questioning being told no!

Not all cancers metastasize. if she has one that doesn't, why would it have been explained to her?

Hopefully nothing of course. It's more for preventative and legal reasons.
Cancer patients in remission can be at increased risk of further cancers. The lymphatic system is stimulated, which we know can be a majorly affected and aids spreading. There is also potential scar tissue areas and other contraindications that may arise that we have to then avoid or work around/adapt treatment.
Insurance for the therapist can stipulate further training to cover working on patients/former patients, so to knowingly treat a client with a history invalidates that, if you don't have correct training for said insurance.
There are therapists that train and solely work on cancer patients and survivors because there are many benefits- When done above board and correctly.
Also, the client could fall ill and require medical input. If they say they've had a massage, the therapist may have their client records (legal documents) called on as part of investigations. That would make the client in the wrong for not disclosing mind you.
It's annoying red tape, but it's necessary when dealing with delicate bodily systems and a very "make a claim" society. It was drummed in during my training to stick to insurance cover terms and get a thorough client history and that was nearly twenty years ago.
Hope that makes sense and explains loosely what I meant.

Why on earth do you think that the existence of metastases is specialised medical knowledge?

The massage therapist would know the OP has no tumours as she would say she has had NED for 8 years.

Again, incredibly patronising.

Not all cancers metastasise but unfortunately that can’t be predicted. So oncologists explain the risks and tell you the red flags to look out for. Once you have a cancer diagnosis nothing is certain any more and you need to know the signs of recurrence. And OP’s cancer was eight years ago - why would she be told no massage because she has cancer, when she no longer has cancer ?

The lymphatic system being stimulated doesn’t cause a recurrence of cancer. That’s straight from the oncologist treating my breast cancer, which had spread to, and resulted in the removal of all the lymph nodes from one armpit. It’s a myth.

Those in remission of cancer have an increased risk of further cancers due to the treatment that saved them in the first place. Nothing to do with massages or stimulating the lymphatic system.

Nope. Reflexology doesn’t cause a recurrence of cancer any more than massage does. Lymphodema can be triggered by massage in a cancer patient who hasn’t previously developed it, and existing Lymphodema can be worsened but there is absolutely no evidence to support the theory that cancer cells can be moved around the body. It’s a myth.

This. There’s a lot of nonsense being talked on this thread.

The ignorance around cancer is shocking. Especially the myths that some people believe.

I remember someone trying to tell me what to feed and not feed my son because it would 'feed' the cancer, especially sugar. Despite the fact he had a NG tube, was rapidly losing weight and the dietician very clearly said let him eat anything because he really needs to eat.

What you have described is absolute nonsense. Which is why I asked you to explain it, I knew it would be a load of old guff.

Insurance may stipulate this or that and the therapist has to adhere to that, I havent said otherwise.

You said that if someone didnt disclose they were in remission from cancer (as I told OP not to disclose), then it would affect the business.

Nothing would affect the business as the insurance stipulations are on the the therapist who wouldnt have been told and has no way of knowing. The point remains that insurances are setting this out because they dont know any better and also believe guff.

So in summary, nothing is going to wrong for someone in remission and nothing will happen to the business if the client doesnt disclose.

Actually, this position of the massage therapist isn't as dumb as it might at first seem.

My mother had breast cancer in 1999. She recovered. In 2012, she was having an osteopath work on her back, and she experienced intense pain. Her cancer had returned in her spine, which is a very common location for breast cancer to spread to. For those who don't know, breast cancer can return many years later (actually, what can happen is that it seeds to the bone when you originally have it, and then if it returns, it's often in the spine or hips).

So, if that has happened to a person, and they're having their back or hips manipulated, it can cause pain and fractures to someone who has cancer cells in their bone.

My mum didn't yet know that it had returned at that appointment.

Please note that my mum had a large tumour but was the victim of medical malpractice as they did not give her chemo, when they should have done. Breast cancer also stays gone more often than not. I just wanted to make these things clear as I don't want to frighten people who have had it.

Yes active diagnosis

Unfortunately any business can refuse service. Most places will cover themselves legally in that situation so won’t provide the massage

Not recurrence - movement of.

That was what I was taught in training anyway.

I missed that it was 8 years ago.

That is strange.

I was taught cancer patients were a no-no unless they had permissions but not those in remission.

That does seem overly cautious.

As someone else said, there is no evidence that treatments can cause a recurrence of cancers.

There is no credible evidence that it does, though doctors often suggest patients with active disease refrain from massage due to an abundance of caution.

i used to practice massage which was a type of energy healing therapy and we were not allowed to work with previous cancer patients for this reason

I will try

How many people have successfully sued masseuses because their previous cancer has returned after a massage? How would anyone ever prove causality there?

And what about all the people with as yet undiagnosed cancers merrily getting massages unaware of the grave and mortal danger they are placing themselves in?

It is still understandable that they are not prepared to do it.

They only asked for a doctors letter. Why not get one, then you won't have the problem in future?