Here’s an unpleasant statistic: forty percent of us will suffer from cancer at some point during our lives. For a disease of such magnitude and impact, it’s notable that those suffering from its affects have been shunned by the spa and wellness industry. Much of the hesitation is due to misinformation – could massage spread the effects of a tumor, for example?–but it also has a lot to do with insurance policies in many countries that made working on guests with cancer prohibitively costly due, in large part, to the aforementioned misinformation. Sadly, an industry that prides itself on prevention practices has often refused some of the very people that need their services most.

And, let’s not forget, “well” people become “dis-eased” people all the time. Not working on a loyal client simply because he/she is suffering from an ailment like cancer is counter-intuitive to everything “wellness” stands for.

LOOKING GOOD IS PART OF FEELING GOOD

In practical terms, doctors and drugs might save your life, but the desire-and need-to look good doesn’t simply disappear with a cancer diagnosis. So, once radiology or chemotherapy is underway, there’s a real need to fight the changes it makes to your skin tone and feel.

MEDICAL EVIDENCE SUPPORTS WELLNESS IN CANCER CARE

It’s worth noting that most of the positive evidence for wellness–from acupuncture to massage–has been done in the name of cancer care. The reason is simple: cancer funding can support such studies. Specific examples: Manual lymph drainage has been tied to preventing secondary lymphedema in women who’ve had surgery for breast cancer, while massage has been proven to reduce nausea in women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy, according to a University of Göteborg trial. A National Taiwan University review reported yoga has a “more positive impact” than supportive group therapy when it comes to reducing anxiety, depression, and stress in cancer patients. While mindfulness/ meditation is known to be a huge disrupter of stress and anxiety-issues cancer patients deal with throughout their diagnosis, treatment and recovery.

The Farm at San Benito in the Philippines offers a natural and holistic 6-night integrative cancer care
program.

THE FUTURE

We predict even more wellness businesses and spas will pursue cancer-focused education to train staff. Already, there are “Wellness for Cancer” trainers on virtually every continent, including San Diego, CA-based Bellus Academy, a leading beauty school in the US which is the first beauty and wellness academy in the U.S. to offer the Wellness for Cancer curriculum. And, in the UK, Beauty Despite Cancer is also offering accredited training programs. While organizations like the Canadian-based Cancer Exercise Training Institute delivers online cancer-specific exercise training courses for professionals.

This more “inclusive” model of wellness will shape a world where wellness pursuits are created equal for those who are well and those who have dis-ease.