Coping with Physical Changes

Preparing yourself for change

While there is no guarantee that you will experience changes in how you look due to cancer treatment, people living with cancer may experience these changes. The way that your body reacts to treatment may vary. For example, you may not lose your hair while someone else living with cancer might. Some examples of bodily changes may include:

• Weight loss or weight gain
  • Weight loss may be caused by factors such as a loss of appetite, changes in taste, mouth problems, constipation or diarrhea, or difficulty swallowing
  • Weight gain, on the other hand, may be caused by the treatment itself, such as steroids in the body from medication and a lack of sex hormones from treatment
• Hair loss
  • Loss of or thinning hair may be initiated by various cancer treatments. As your hair may change, your nails might too, such as ridges in the nails or splitting
• Skin changes
  • You may experience itchy, sweaty, or dry skin during treatment as well. Sometimes, skin rashes and infection may happen
• Scarring
  • Surgery may cause scarring on the body. Along with scarring, muscle and bone may be removed, depending on the type of surgery and where it is
• Loss of body parts
  • Similarly caused by surgery, body parts may be removed during treatment. For example, with breast cancer, a mastectomy may be required to remove one of the or both breasts
• Swelling
  • Swelling may occur during treatment, commonly in the arms and legs
• Opening in the body
  • For head and neck cancer, an opening in the body, or a stoma, may be needed to help you breathe. Openings may also be needed in the abdomen for cancers affecting the bowel and bladder

Coping with the changes

Experiencing changes to your body during treatment may appear scary, but there are a few ways to cope with changes that may help changes become manageable.

• Use head coverings
  • Hats, scarves and wigs may be helpful if you are dealing with hair loss
• Use makeup
  • Using makeup to redefine your eyebrows during hair loss may help you feel more confident. You may also use makeup to help camouflage scarring from surgery
• Find support
  • Reaching out to loved ones about your experience in physical changes may alleviate negative feelings you might have. As well as talking to loved ones, speaking with others living with cancer, or those who have gone through treatment, may be reassuring. Consider talking to your doctor about places to find support. Read one survivor's experience with such changes here
• Stay active
  • During and after treatment, staying active and moving your body may help you retain and gain energy. Consult with your health care team to discuss how you can be more active
• Talk with your healthcare team
  • Your healthcare team is there to help you before, during and after your cancer journey. They may offer you options for things you may be worried about like preventing hair loss
• Maintain perspective
  • Understanding that not every change you experience is permanent may help you keep a positive perspective during this time. It may be important to remember that such changes may need to happen to help in your recovery from cancer

Your cancer journey might be full of highs and lows, and these changes to your body may be unwelcomed, but cancer treatments are vital for your recovery. Remember to speak with your doctor about how you feel about your changes, as they could recommend advice for how you can cope.