Causes of Cancer

Hereditory Factors

Dealing with Diagnosis

Telling Others

Supporting Someone with Cancer

Understanding Your Illness

Self Image

Caring for Yourself

Body image and sexuality

A diagnosis of cancer brings many changes. You have to deal with treatment, its side effects and how people react to you.

Change in body image

Cancer can change how you feel about yourself. Treatment side effects, scars from surgery, having a breast removed, changes in body weight can all affect how you feel about yourself. Some of these changes can be temporary – your hair will grow back after chemotherapy – but others, such as losing a breast, are permanent.

Reconstructive surgery or artificial body parts (prostheses) may make permanent side effects less noticeable. Breast prostheses are being improved continuously in comfort, fit and natural appearance. Breast reconstruction is an accepted surgical option for women who have had a breast removed (mastectomy). Prostheses can be built for people who have
had radical oral and facial surgery, allowing some people to speak and eat solid food again.

It takes time to get used to these changes. You may think these changes make you less attractive. Some people find that physical activities – sports, dancing classes, exercise – improve their body image. Creative activities such as painting, playing music, furniture building and reading can also increase your self confidence.

Sexuality and cancer

Cancer treatment and the emotional effects of cancer may affect your sexuality in different ways. Some people may feel an increased need for sexual and intimate contact for reassurance. Other people may be less interested in intimacy and sex, or feel that these things are temporarily less important.

Some people may also feel too tired or sick to want sex. Others may feel they are less sexually attractive to their partner because of changes that cancer and its treatment have caused to their body.

What you as a partner can do

Despite physical changes, your partner needs to know that you still love them and find them attractive.

Try to see past your partner’s physical appearance. Remind yourself of their other qualities that you find attractive: sense of humour, intelligence or personality.

Talk to your partner. It is important you both agree on what is acceptable to each of you. You might feel awkward about sexual contact because you think your partner is not ready for sex, or that physical contact may hurt them.

Touching, holding, hugging and caressing are other ways of reassuring your partner that you love them and find them physically attractive. Touching or stroking the scar may help show your partner that you have accepted these body changes.

What if I don’t have a partner?

If you’ve had major body changes after cancer treatment, finding a new partner can seem frightening. It is difficult to tell a new person in your life that you’ve had a breast removed or have a stoma (an artificial opening in the body that has been created surgically). It’s normal to be worried about their reaction to seeing changes to your body for the first time. It may be easier if you practise what you want to say. It may also help to show them any body changes before
any sexual activity so that you can both get used to how that makes you feel.

Looking after yourself...